IRELAND’S MEDIA REGULATOR has commenced a formal investigation into X over concerns about how it handles reported content.

Coimisiún na Meán suspects the platform, formerly known as Twitter, may not be in compliance with its obligations under Article 20 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets out rules on how complaints should be managed by social media companies.

If the social media company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, is found to have violated the Act, it could face a fine of up to 6% of its turnover.

The investigation will look into whether people are able to appeal X’s decisions not to remove content when they report something that they think breaches X’s terms of service.

It will find out whether people are properly informed of the outcome of a report they make and whether they are informed about their right to appeal the decision.

It’ll also check whether X has an internal complaints-handling mechanism that is easy to access and user friendly.

John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said the investigation commenced following supervision of X and analysis of information gathered from a variety of sources.

“The right of a user to report content that is illegal or against a platform’s terms and conditions, and the right to appeal a platform’s decision, is a cornerstone of the DSA,” he said.

“We will not hesitate to intervene and where appropriate take enforcement action to protect the safety of users in Ireland, and across the European Union.

“For the largest platforms, we collaborate closely with the European Commission to ensure the Digital Services Act produces good outcomes for European citizens.”

The Commission tells people who see illegal content online, or content that breaks a platform’s own rules, to report it to the platform where it was seen.

“If you can’t find an easy way to do this, or if you’re not happy with a platform’s response, our Contact Centre can provide advice and support, and escalate issues to our Complaints Team when necessary,” said Evans.