A German NGO, Democracy Reporting International, which is financially supported by the European Union and the German and Dutch governments, has filed a lawsuit in Germany against social media platform X for access to its data concerning Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections. The lawsuit is grounded in the EU’s Digital Services Act, which mandates that large online platforms provide data to researchers studying systemic risks, like election interference. As Hungary gears up for a competitive election with intensified opposition against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the legal dispute over data access has drawn criticism, with some arguing that European-backed initiatives risk appearing as external interference in national political processes. This issue gains further complexity following a U.S. House Judiciary Committee report, which claims that European authorities have used regulatory measures to sway political debates across EU member states.
Democracy Reporting International sues X for election data access under EU law
