X contests German court order requiring release of election data

February 19, 2025 TruthUSA

Two civil rights groups are insisting that social media platforms have a legal obligation under European Union law to provide data for tracking ‘misinformation.’

Elon Musk’s social media platform X is contesting a ruling by a Berlin judge that demands the release of data before Germany’s upcoming national election.

On Feb. 7, the court issued an urgent injunction after the plaintiffs, civil rights groups Democracy Reporting International (DRI) and the Society for Civil Rights (GFF), claimed that X had refused to share data with Democracy Reporting International.

With the election approaching, X stated on its Global Government Affairs account on Feb. 18 that the judge’s decision “egregiously undermines our fundamental right to due process and threatens the privacy rights and free speech of our users.”

Democracy Reporting International intends to analyze the impact of social media platforms on the upcoming Bundestag election using X’s data in order to enhance transparency regarding potential manipulations before the vote.

They argue that access to relevant data is necessary to prevent the dissemination of disinformation.

They claim that, under the Digital Services Act, a regulation that applies across the EU and governs the responsibilities of digital services, platforms are required to provide researchers with access to pertinent data.