German activists sue X for hiding data on election influence

Two human rights organizations have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's social media platform X in a Berlin court, accusing the platform of violating European law. The reason is the refusal to provide them with access to information that would help track the spread of disinformation ahead of the German elections on February 23. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN. 

Details

The plaintiffs - the Civil Rights Society (GFF) and Democracy Reporting International (DRI) - claim that X does not allow for systematic analysis of the coverage of publications, the number of likes and shares.

Other social networks have given us access to track public discussions, but X refused to do so 

According to activists, the EU Digital Services Act obliges the platform to provide such data. However, X has so far ignored the requests and has not commented on the situation.

Europe is increasingly paying attention to the risks of social media manipulation, especially after the scandal in Romania. Last year, the victory of a pro-Russian candidate in the first round of the presidential election came as a surprise to everyone there. The country's authorities believe that the result was the result of a powerful information campaign organized by Moscow through social media. The election was eventually canceled, and the Kremlin traditionally denied interference.

As for X, despite the fact that some German politicians have already left the platform, it remains an important platform for the government and political class of the country. However, the situation has become even more acute after Musk openly supported the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Social networks are increasingly becoming a weapon in the fight against democratic elections 

Elon Musk, who, after buying Twitter, made access to the social network's data payable, has further confused the situation. In January, he interviewed AfD leader Alice Weidel and then wrote: “Only the AfD can save Germany!

Recall

German intelligence agencies warned of a serious threat of Russian interference in the Bundestag elections, including through large-scale cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns.