Commission directs additional investigative measures to X in ongoing Digital Services Act proceeding

On 17 November, the Commission transferred three additional technical investigative measures to X in relation to the platform’s recommendation system. These investigative measures are part of the formal proceedings initiated on 18 December 2023 under the Digital Services Act.

 

Executive Vice-President for Technology Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen said: “Today we are taking further steps to clarify the compliance of X recommender systems with their obligations under the Digital Services Act. We are committed to ensuring that all platforms operating in the EU respect our legislation, which aims to make the online environment fair, safe and democratic for all European citizens”.

First, the Commission is asking the company to provide internal documentation on its recommendation systems and any recent changes to them by 15 February 2025.

In addition, a “withholding order” requires the platform to retain internal documents and information relating to future changes to the design and operation of its recommendation algorithms, for the period from 17 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, unless the Commission’s ongoing investigation is concluded before then.

Finally, the Commission has submitted a request for access to certain commercial APIs of X: these are technical interfaces to content that allow direct research on content moderation and account virality.

These measures will allow the Commission services to take into account all relevant facts in the complex assessment of systemic risks and their mitigation under the Digital Services Act.

More information: European Commission.