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EU looking into X's system for recommending content to

users

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Seeks access to X interfaces, orders it to keep documents

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Latest clash between mainstream EU politicians and Musk

(Adds Commission review of investigations in paragraph 5,

Trump's impact on EU in 6-9, EU Commission's plans in 11-14)

By Marine Strauss and Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission

said on Friday it was stepping up its investigation into whether

Elon Musk's social media network X breached EU rules on content

moderation with requests for information and an order for it to

retain relevant documents.

The Commission, which started its investigation against X in

December 2023, requested the company to provide by Feb. 15

internal documentation about its recommender system that makes

content suggestions to users, and any recent changes made to it.

"Today we are taking further steps to shed light on the

compliance of X's recommender systems with the obligations under

the DSA," EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement,

referring to the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA).

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Commission played down reports earlier this week that it

was reviewing its investigations against big tech companies,

stressing that they are continuing as normal and U.S.

President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House did not

affect its commitment to enforcing its laws.

Trump, who takes over as the 47th U.S. president on Monday,

has been critical of various EU policies. Bolstered by his

stance, other U.S. CEOs, such as Meta's Mark

Zuckerberg, have sought his help to fight EU regulations.

Meta last week scrapped its U.S. fact-checking programmes

and Zuckerberg said he would work with Trump to push back on

censorship around the world, highlighting the increasing number

of laws institutionalising censorship in Europe.

X owner Musk, who is an ally of Trump, has also repeatedly

clashed with EU regulators, and riled mainstream European

politicians by backing the far-right Alternative for Germany

(AfD) in Germany's election next month, and endorsing Britain's

right-wing Reform party.

Some European politicians have accused Musk of meddling in

elections, such as with his streamed conversation with the

leader of AfD.

Musk has said the criticism is an affront to democracy and

free speech.

The Commission has said Musk is free to speak his mind and

can hold live streams with politicians but is assessing whether

algorithms boost a single narrative and "shadow-ban" other

views, so posing a risk to fair elections.

The debate on free speech has put a focus on the EU's DSA,

which is intended to address illegal content such as hate speech

and election interference.

The Commission issued a "retention order" requiring X to

keep internal documents and information on future changes to the

design and functioning of its recommender algorithms for the

period from Jan. 17 to the end of 2025.

It also requested access to certain of X's technical

interfaces to its content that would allow direct fact-finding

on content moderation and virality of accounts.

"These steps will allow the Commission services to take all

relevant facts into account in the complex assessment under the

DSA of systemic risks and their mitigation," the Commission

said.