Berlin court tells X to hand over data on Hungarian election
POLITICO - Wednesday, February 18, 2026A court in Germany on Tuesday ordered Elon Musk’s social media site X to hand over data related to the upcoming election in Hungary to researchers for scrutiny.
The court in Berlin ruled in favor of rights group Democracy Reporting International in its bid to access data to research influence campaigns and disinformation in the election. The group took its case to court after X in November refused its data access requests.
The European Union’s rules for social media platforms, the Digital Services Act, obliges big online platforms like X to grant external researchers access to data to scrutinize how platforms handle risks, including election interference. The European Commission in December fined X €40 million for breaching that obligation, as part of a €120 million levy.
Hungarians head to the polls in April, in a contested election that is a crucial test for longtime leader Viktor Orbán, who faces fierce opposition from his rival Péter Magyar. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Orbán in Budapest on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump already endorsed the far-right populist leader this month.
Musk, who owns X, has also waded into European politics in Germany, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
X did not respond to POLITICO’s request for comment at the time of publication.
The election is critical to Brussels’ establishment as well, POLITICO reported earlier, as Orbán frequently clashes with Brussels and other European capitals over support for Ukraine, LGBTQ+ rights and Russia sanctions.
Last year, Democracy Reporting International lost a similar case before a Berlin court for access to data on the German elections. The new ruling could set a precedent for other organizations in Germany seeking access to data.
“The online space should not be a black box,” said Michael Meyer-Resende, the rights group’s executive director.
The case was supported by the Society for Civil Rights and law firm Hausfeld.