X challenges German court order granting data access to election researchers

Berlin, Germany, February 17, 2025 – X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, is contesting a Berlin court order issued on February 7 that mandates immediate access to public platform data for two civil society organizations.

The order, which is part of efforts under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, seeks to enable Democracy Reporting International and the German Society for Civil Rights (GFF) to study systemic risks associated with the upcoming federal elections.

In a post on X on Tuesday, the company argued that the summary proceeding “egregiously undermines our fundamental right to due process and threatens the privacy rights and free speech of our users.” X’s challenge could potentially delay or derail the research intended to analyze social media’s influence on the electoral process, including investigations into “potential manipulations” on the platform.

The Digital Services Act requires large online platforms like X to support public interest research into systemic risks. In this case, the two civil society groups aim to examine how social media interactions might affect the electoral landscape ahead of the elections scheduled for February 23.

Officials have not yet indicated how long the legal challenge might affect the release of the requested data. Meanwhile, the dispute underscores the tension between efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in the digital space and concerns over user privacy and procedural rights.

Copied