PREVIEW

Berlin Court Orders X to Release Data on Hungary’s Election. A Berlin court ordered X to hand over data linked to Hungary’s upcoming election, siding with rights group Democracy Reporting International. The group sued after X refused access in November, arguing it needed the data to investigate disinformation and potential election interference. Under the EU’s Digital Services Act, major platforms must grant researchers access to data to assess systemic risks, including threats to elections. The European Commission fined X €40 million in December for breaching those transparency obligations, part of a wider €120 million penalty. Hungarians vote in April in a pivotal election for longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces a strong challenge from Péter Magyar. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Orbán in Budapest this week, while President Donald Trump has already endorsed the Hungarian leader. Democracy Reporting International’s director Michael Meyer-Resende said the ruling reinforces that “the online space should not be a black box.” The decision could set a precedent in Germany after a similar data-access case related to national elections was previously dismissed.
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