Green EU lawmakers, citing the Digital Services Act (DSA), have demanded the EU Commission take immediate action against the platform X. This is according to a request to the EU Commission, which was reported by the “Handelsblatt” (Wednesday edition). The Greens expect all parties in the EU Parliament’s center to support the motion before it is sent to the EU Commission on Friday.
“The Commission must urgently order immediate measures for X” said EU lawmaker Alexandra Geese (Green) to the newspaper. She demands, among other things, the shutdown of X’s recommendation mechanisms. “This way, no single content would be deleted, but freedom of opinion for all would be restored” Geese said.
Musk’s “personal involvement in the German federal election campaign, his soon-to-be key position in the US government, and his power to influence the political agenda in Germany through the algorithmic control on the X platform” poses a “systemic risk” to the public discourse and the upcoming federal election, it is said in the letter. The lawmakers are therefore demanding “urgent interim measures from the Commission to protect the federal election.”
Under the DSA, X is regulated in the EU. The EU law obliges social media platforms, among other things, to combat so-called “fake news” hate speech, and propaganda. Additionally, under the DSA, information about the algorithm can be requested. Several proceedings are already underway in the EU against X due to possible violations of the DSA.