Two activist groups have filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s social media platform X, accusing it of violating European law by refusing to provide necessary data to track disinformation ahead of Germany’s national election on February 23. The Society for Civil Rights (GFF) and Democracy Reporting International (DRI) claim that X is not offering systematic access to important information, such as the reach of posts, likes, and shares, which other platforms have made available for monitoring.
According to Michael Meyer-Resende of DRI, the groups have the right to access this data under the European Union’s Digital Services Act. Despite requests, X has not granted access to the data needed for tracking public debates on the platform.
The lawsuit comes amid heightened concerns over online disinformation ahead of elections in Europe, especially after the controversial presidential election in Romania in 2024, which was allegedly influenced by a Russian-driven social media campaign, though Moscow denied any involvement.
The situation is further complicated by Musk’s endorsement of Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), and his continued influence over the platform. Since taking control of Twitter (now X), Musk has limited access to data for researchers, charging for what was previously free, raising concerns about transparency and potential misuse of the platform in democratic processes.
