The European Commission determined this Friday that social network X violates European digital services rules for “the deceptive design” of your verification systemthe lack of transparency of its advertising repository and lack of access to public data for researchers, for which he has announced a fine of 120 million euros against the social network.
X’s verification system is “misleading”. That is the conclusion of the Commission after an investigation that has lasted for two years. The famous blue mark “implies that there is a real, verified user behind it”explained a high-ranking community source involved in the investigation. But in practice this is not the case.
The second reason why the social network violates community standards according to the Executive’s decision this Friday is that there is no ad repository. That is, a database where users can access all ads. “This is particularly important for investigating possible fraud or false political ads“explained the same source.
Finally, Brussels considers that X violates the rules by not giving access to researchers to data that is actually public, such as the different types of interactions with a publication. In the eyes of the Commission, this makes it difficult to study fundamental issues such as polarizationthe impact of networks on mental health or simply how certain content is disseminated.
“Proportionate” sanction
In total, The Commission’s decision means a fine of 120 million for Elon Musk’s social network, which is divided into 45 million for the verification system, 40 for the absence of an ad repository and 35 for the lack of access to public data. The Executive alleges that the fine is “proportionate” and defends that it calculates The amounts are not based on the size of the company but on the seriousness of the breaches of the rules, explained a high-ranking community source. The figure may seem low, but “it is more expensive than complying with the rules”, has pointed out.
It is the first time that the Commission has fined X within the framework of the digital services law. Brussels still maintains two open investigations into possible non-compliance with regulations communities of the social network. One has to do with X’s mechanism for identifying and reporting illegal content. The other investigates the significant algorithm change of the social network in recent years.
“This is an independent investigation,” clarified a senior community source. The same source has acknowledged, however, that there are links between the two. “The fact that X, in our opinion, does not allow access to its public data also means that third parties cannot independently analyze the effects of the algorithm to our own investigation,” he pointed out.
The decision was made public just a few days after United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnicklinked a possible deal to reduce tariffs on aluminum and steel to the EU relaxing its digital rules, claiming that disproportionately affect US companies. Brussels has defended its position, insisting on its sovereignty to legislate.
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