Musk’s X risks fine as EU steps up crackdown on Big Tech
- The warning shot against X comes after the opening of an investigation by EU regulators in December, after they looked at the platform’s handling of content after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel
Elon Musk’s social media platform X is set to be served with a formal warning for failing to combat dangerous content, in the third show of force by European Union regulators against Big Tech in recent weeks.
The escalation – which could eventually pave the way for fines of 6 per cent of X’s revenue – is likely to be announced by Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton before the EU’s summer recess, according to people familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Should X not make the necessary changes to address the European Commission’s preliminary findings, the authority could proceed with a formal decision before the end of the year, the people said. After this, the company could face a financial penalty for non-compliance.
The warning shot against X follows the opening of an investigation by the EU’s regulators in December. Brussels watchdogs have made inquiries into platform’s handling of content after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Regulators also have opened investigations into Meta Platforms, AliExpress, and ByteDance TikTok.
AliExpress is operated by Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post.
The commission said its proceedings against X are ongoing and there are no time limits on the next step. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
