Highlights of the week of July 8-14

European Commission vs. X

This week, the EC notified X (formerly Twitter) of its preliminary view that the company is in breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas related to dark patterns, advertising transparency and access to data for researchers.

Transparency and accountability in content moderation and advertising are key aspects of the DSA. Based on a thorough investigation, including a review of internal company documents, interviews with experts, and cooperation with national digital service coordinators, the Commission found three violations.

First, X designs and operates the "verified accounts" interface with a blue checkmark in a way that is misleading to users. Whereas previously only major media outlets, political figures, and other celebrities could get the check mark, the option is now available to any user. Anyone can get this status for relatively little money, negatively impacting users' ability to make free and informed decisions about the authenticity of accounts and content. There is evidence that malicious actors are already using blue ticks for their own purposes.

Second, X fails to provide the necessary ad transparency by not providing an accessible and reliable ad registry. Instead, it implements design elements and access barriers that render the registry unusable for transparency purposes.

Third, X fails to provide researchers with access to its public data in accordance with the terms of the DSA. Specifically, the company prohibits independent access to public data, and the process for providing access through APIs discourages researchers or forces them to pay excessive fees.

If the Commission's preliminary findings are confirmed, the Commission may adopt a decision against the company, which could result in fines of up to 6% of the company's worldwide annual turnover and an order to take measures to remedy the infringements.

On July 11, Germans began to earn money for themselves

Before that date, all earned income was used to pay taxes and contributions to state funds. According to the forecast of the Institute of German Taxpayers (DSi), the tax burden on the average household will be 52.6% this year. This means that 52.6 cents of every euro earned goes to the state, leaving only 47.4 cents for the citizens.

The main factors increasing the tax burden are the rising costs of education, medicine and pension insurance, higher taxes on natural gas and central heating, and an increase in the airline tax. Despite the reduction in the progressive income tax, the overall tax burden remains high, highlighting the need for further reforms to ease the financial pressure on citizens.

BdSt President Reiner Holznagel addressed the government with three main demands: to prevent housing costs from rising, to reduce the VAT on heating and electricity to 7%, and to further reduce the progressive income tax. In his opinion, it is important to achieve a sustainable reduction in the tax burden in order to stimulate the economy and improve the welfare of citizens.

Taxpayers' Day reminds us that more than half of citizens' income is redistributed by the state. This weakens incentives to work and may violate many people's sense of fairness. It is therefore necessary to discuss the effectiveness of existing systems and the justification of high tax burdens.

Donald Trump survives assassination attempt

Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, tried to shoot the politician and businessman. The incident occurred at a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump was attacked while speaking. After the shots were fired, Secret Service agents quickly evacuated Trump from the stage. He returned safely to New Jersey and thanked law enforcement. The FBI is treating the incident as an attempted assassination and an active investigation has been launched.

Trump said on Truth Social that one of the bullets damaged the top of his right ear. "I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin," he wrote. Crooks was shot dead on the spot by a Secret Service sniper, who also killed a spectator in the stands and seriously wounded two others.

Current President Joe Biden condemned the attack, calling it "painful" and insisting that there is no place for such violence in America. Former President Barack Obama and other politicians from both parties also condemned the incident.