The European Commission remains committed to using new digital legislation to protect democracy and public discourse, according to the Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen.
Speaking to MEPs on Tuesday in the European Parliament, she highlighted that the number of staff working on the Digital Services Act (DSA) will double by the end of the year from 100 to 200.
The debate over the DSA, which compels major online platforms to better protect users against illegal content, misinformation, and abuse, has intensified recently.
This follows Elon Musk, now also holding a role within Donald Trump’s administration, promoting far-right parties on X and the cessation of fact-checking programmes at Meta in the US.
The Commission has faced criticism for being too lenient on political interference on social media.
"Free, fair, and inclusive elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and political interference demands a strong response," said Virkkunen, who is responsible for enforcing the DSA.
She described the DSA as a "highly sophisticated legal framework for online platforms, balancing freedoms and responsibilities."
'The people voted for major government reform' claims a post by Elon Musk's X profile account is displayed on a smartphone with Elon musk profile in the background, December 20, 2024. Credit: Belga
"Rest assured, the Commission takes the enforcement of the DSA very seriously," she added.
Since April 2023, ten investigations have been launched under the act: one against X, three against TikTok, one against AliExpress, two against Instagram, two against Facebook, and one against Temu.
One investigation into TikTok Lite has already concluded, and preliminary findings have been communicated to X.
Virkkunen also noted that last week, the Commission requested additional information from X regarding content moderation and the virality of accounts.
"Strong enforcement of the Digital Services Act requires meticulous investigative work by expert teams, solid evidence, and decisions that hold up in court," she emphasised.
