Amid an ongoing investigation into content moderation practices and compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), an online platform, referred to as X, has defended its decision to reduce content moderators covering several EU languages. Anna Zizola, the EU policy lead for the platform, emphasised during a conference in Brussels that the reduction in moderators for certain languages does not signify non-compliance with the DSA.
Zizola explained that after a thorough assessment, the platform opted to shift towards greater automation of content moderation, a move deemed more effective by its trust and safety department. Despite the scrutiny, the platform made this decision after careful evaluation with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of content moderation processes.
The platform recently received a request from the European Commission for additional information regarding the reduction in content moderators. The platform’s second transparency report outlined this decision, which resulted in the removal of moderators for Bulgarian, Croatian, Latvian, and Polish languages while retaining coverage for seven EU languages. The Commission initiated an ongoing investigation in December 2023, examining various aspects of X’s operations under the DSA, coinciding with the reduction in moderators.
The DSA, which came into full force in February, imposes strict rules on platforms with over 45 million monthly average users in the EU, including transparency requirements and safeguards for minors online. X’s restructuring efforts and cooperation with media researchers ahead of the upcoming EU elections in June reflect its commitment to complying with DSA election guidelines.
Zizola highlighted X’s proactive measures to safeguard the electoral process, such as hiring additional staff for election teams and engaging with the European Parliament to promote voter awareness. While X exited the voluntary Code of Practice on Disinformation in May 2023 following a change of ownership to billionaire Elon Musk, Zizola indicated openness to rejoining such initiatives in the future, emphasising the platform’s cooperation with relevant stakeholders and adherence to EU election guidelines.
As X navigates the complexities of content moderation and regulatory compliance, its efforts to enhance transparency, automate processes, and collaborate with authorities underscore its commitment to upholding standards set forth by the DSA and promoting integrity in online discourse.
