By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
German activist groups have sued X, accusing it of violating EU law by withholding data crucial for tracking election disinformation.
Two activist groups have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, in a Berlin court, accusing it of violating European law by withholding critical data needed to track disinformation ahead of Germany’s national election on February 23.
The groups—Society for Civil Rights (GFF) and Democracy Reporting International (DRI)—argue that X has refused to provide systematic access to key information, such as the reach of posts and engagement metrics like likes and shares.
“Other platforms have granted us access to systematically track public debates on their platforms, but X has refused to do so,” said DRI’s Michael Meyer-Resende in a statement on Wednesday. The groups assert that, under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), they have the legal right to access this data. However, X has not yet responded to requests for comment.
European authorities remain on high alert for potential election interference, particularly in light of last year’s controversial presidential election in Romania, which was later annulled after allegations of a Russian-backed social media influence campaign. While Moscow has denied involvement, the incident has heightened concerns over online disinformation campaigns across Europe.
X remains a widely used platform for German government officials and politicians, despite growing concerns about Musk’s influence and recent endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
In January, Musk hosted an interview with AfD leader Alice Weidel on X and posted: “Only the AfD can save Germany!” His ownership of X has also led to significant changes in how information is monitored on the platform, as he has restricted researchers’ access to data that was previously available for tracking the spread of information.
GFF’s Simone Ruf emphasised the lawsuit’s importance, warning of the dangers posed by social media in shaping political discourse. “Platforms are increasingly being weaponised against democratic elections,” she said. “We must defend ourselves.”
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