Europe Fined X, But It's Still Avoiding the Real Threat to Democracy
The European Commission on Friday issued its first-ever non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act against X (formerly Twitter) and imposed a €120 million fine. It confirmed serious violations: deceptive use of the verification checkmark, major failures in advertising transparency, and the systematic obstruction of researchers’ access to platform data.
This is a necessary first step in enforcing European digital regulation against a platform that is one of the worst offenders. But ultimately, it is not sufficient to address the systemic risks posed by X, which must be considered in the broader context of a United States foreign policy bent on pushing Europe to the right.
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