The European Commission has expanded its investigation into social network X, formerly known as Twitter, by ordering the production of internal documents related to its recommendation algorithm, the Financial Times reports.
The EU regulator also requested detailed information on how X moderates and distributes content. The move comes amid concerns from German politicians that X's algorithm is promoting right-wing radical content ahead of Germany's federal elections scheduled for February 23. X's owner Elon Musk has publicly expressed support for the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, saying it can "save Germany."
When asked whether the expansion of the investigation was related to Musk's recent interview with AfD co-chairman Alice Weidel, the Commission spokesperson said that the new request would help "us monitor systems around all these events taking place." However, he emphasized that this investigation is "completely independent of any political considerations or any specific events."
Henna Virkkunen, Head of the Digital Sector at the European Commission, emphasized the importance of the investigation. “We are committed to ensuring that every platform operating in the EU respects our legislation, which aims to make the online environment fair, safe, and democratic for all European citizens,” she stated.