Brussels has ordered Elon Musk to fully disclose recent changes to X recommendations, stepping up investigations into the role of social media platforms in European politics.
The European Commission announced an expanded investigation on Friday, requiring X to hand over internal documents about its recommendation algorithms. The committee also issued a "withholding order" on all relevant documents related to how the algorithm could be modified in the future.
Additionally, EU regulators are demanding information on how social media networks moderate and amplify content.
The move comes after German politicians complained that X's algorithm was promoting far-right content ahead of the country's February 23 election. Musk has publicly backed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which he believes will save Europe's largest country from "economic and cultural collapse." Germany's domestic intelligence service has identified some members of the Alternative for Germany party as right-wing extremists.
Speaking on Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz got tougher on the world's richest man, calling Musk's support for the AfD "completely unacceptable." The party currently ranks second in opinion polls, with an approval rating of about 20%, ahead of Scholz's Social Democrats and behind the opposition Christian Democratic Union.
Earlier this week, Germany's defense ministry and foreign ministry said they would suspend activities on X, with the defense ministry saying it was increasingly "unsatisfied" with the platform.
Asked whether the expanded investigation was in response to a discussion Musk had with AfD co-leader Alice Wedel last week, a committee spokesman said she was allowed to freely promote the party platform and made false accusations against Adolf Hitler. Asking for help with "our systems that monitor all of these events that are happening."
However, he said this was "completely independent of any political considerations or any specific incident".
“We are committed to ensuring that every platform operating in the EU respects our legislation, which aims to create a fair, safe and democratic online environment for all European citizens,” said Henna Virkkunen, head of digital at the European Commission.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wedel's interview comes after the committee recently faced political pressure to get tough on Musk's X.
Last week, MEP Damian Boeselager wrote to Virkkunnen asking for an investigation into whether the social media platform's use of algorithms complies with EU transparency requirements.
“There are allegations that Musk is promoting his tweets,” Boschlager told the Financial Times last week. "This guy may be crazy, but it's not fair if he amplifies the people who have to listen to him."