Elon Musk, CTO and chairman of X, made serious allegations against the European Commission (EC) claiming that they offered an “illegal secret deal” to censor speech on the social media platform. According to Musk, the EC allegedly wanted the platform to censor speech without informing anyone in order to avoid being fined in the EU.
Musk revealed that X did not agree to the terms of the alleged deal, unlike other platforms which accepted it. He expressed his readiness to engage in a public legal battle over the issue, indicating that the platform is willing to defend its position.
The European Commission’s investigation found that X has breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in various areas such as dark patterns, advertising transparency, and data access for researchers. The platform’s “Blue checkmarks” and verified accounts were highlighted as deceptive to users, as they can be obtained by anyone and are often abused by bad actors.
The report also criticized X for not providing a searchable and reliable advertising repository, hindering supervision and research efforts. Additionally, the platform’s terms of service banning scraping, along with high fees for API access, deter eligible researchers from utilizing public data in line with the DSA.
X now has the opportunity to present a written response to the EC’s preliminary findings and defend its position. The final decision on the matter is pending, but if found non-compliant, the platform could face hefty fines of up to 6% of its worldwide annual turnover.
The allegations made by Elon Musk against the European Commission highlight a possible clash between regulations and freedom of speech on social media platforms. X’s refusal to comply with the alleged illegal deal and its willingness to engage in a legal battle underscore the importance of upholding transparency and accountability in the digital landscape.
