European Commission stops advertising on X

The European Commission has decided to stop advertising on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, due to "widespread concerns about the spread of disinformation", Politico reported on Friday.

Politico obtained an internal note from the Commission's deputy chief spokesperson, Dana Spinant, communicating the decision to all heads of service and directors-general.

Disinformation on X, particularly in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian war, had led the Commission to "recommend to temporarily suspend advertising on this platform until further notice to avoid risks of reputational damage to the Commission", the note said.

EU services can still use the platform to communicate, but the communications department has ordered a halt to paid advertising.

X has come under increasing scrutiny due to the EU's new Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to protect users from digital abuse such as disinformation. 

The note warned services that buying ads targeting user profiles based on sensitive personal data would breach the DSA. "It is essential that our advertising respects scrupulously the spirit and the letter of the rules that we seek to enforce as regulator for very large online platforms," Spinant wrote. 

The note said the department would consider using alternative social media platforms or digital advertising on websites and is exploring new platforms to diversify its social media presence.

^{© KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP}