EU Faces Growing Pressure to Confront Musk Over Alleged Electoral Meddling

[Social Media]

 

Elon Musk's decision to host Alice Weidel, leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, in a livestream on X has ignited a firestorm of criticism across Europe. EU leaders and lawmakers are urging Brussels to take decisive legal action against the tech magnate, citing concerns about potential electoral interference ahead of Germany’s February 23 election.  

 

The European Commission has indicated that Musk could face significant legal consequences under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU's stringent social media regulation. The Commission is examining whether the livestream gave Weidel and her populist, anti-immigration party an unfair advantage over rivals. The AfD, polling second in Germany, has long been accused of downplaying Nazi crimes, making Musk’s engagement with Weidel a particularly contentious move.  

 

French President Emmanuel Macron openly criticized Musk, accusing him of fostering a reactionary movement and interfering in European politics. “Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany,” Macron stated during a speech at the Elysée Palace.  

 

The DSA, which empowers the EU to impose penalties of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover or even temporary platform bans, places special emphasis on preventing undue influence in electoral processes. The key question revolves around whether X’s algorithms unfairly amplified Weidel’s content, providing her with a significant public advantage.  

 

Former EU digital enforcer Thierry Breton stressed the gravity of the situation, noting that Weidel gained “a significant and valuable advantage” through her exposure on X. German Greens MEP Alexandra Geese echoed these concerns, arguing that while Musk’s conversation with Weidel falls under freedom of expression, algorithmic manipulation that floods timelines with far-right propaganda crosses a legal and ethical line.  

 

EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier clarified that the investigation will focus on how much exposure Weidel’s content received and whether this posed risks to the electoral process. He noted that Brussels has been monitoring X's compliance with the DSA for over a year.  

 

Musk’s relationship with the EU has been fraught with tension, including a high-profile incident in which Musk responded to Breton with a crude meme. Felix Kartte, a senior fellow at Germany’s Mercator Foundation, suggested that the EU’s response will hinge on both technical evidence and political considerations. “The question is essentially whether EU leaders are prepared to choose confrontation with the Trump administration before it has formally taken office,” Kartte remarked.  

 

As Brussels weighs its options, the controversy underscores the growing challenges of regulating global tech platforms in an era of heightened political polarization and misinformation. Whether the EU acts decisively against Musk could set a precedent for future battles over digital governance and electoral integrity.

 

Based on a report by Politico 2024-01-09

 

 

 

[ukrules]

Lol, this is hilarious and the double standard they would like to apply is astounding.
 

 

[mokwit]

Surely Soros's interference would be a better place to start, no?

[Donga]

Political interference, arising from media activities?

Poor luvvies, having to deal with alternative views from mainstream media - not fair is it?

[JonnyF]

They can't do anything.

 

He refuses to be bullied, he is too well connected to be sent to the gulag, he is too rich to care about being sued, he cannot be silenced because he owns X.

 

They are completely powerless against him. 

 

It's brilliant to watch. 😄

[JonnyF]

Imagine using X to interfere in other countries elections. Shocking...

 

[candide]

On 1/9/2025 at 3:05 AM, Social Media said:

while Musk’s conversation with Weidel falls under freedom of expression, algorithmic manipulation that floods timelines with far-right propaganda crosses a legal and ethical line.  

That summmarizes well the issues at stake and stresses the ignorance shown in some comments in this thread.

 

Under EU laws, Musk (or anyone) is free to make any comment he wants (with the usual restrictions such as inciting violence, terrorism, etc...).

 

What is forbidden is algorithmic manipulation. If X algorithms artificially amplify the diffusion of messages promoting a particular party, it will be severly sanctioned and will cost a lot of money.

 

Of course Musk perfectly knows that, so I doubt it will happen. 

[OneMoreFarang]

I wonder how many people in Europe listen to the Trump-supporting Musk.

 

I agree with Olaf Scholz: ‘Don’t feed the troll’

[mrwebb8825]

On 1/10/2025 at 1:36 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how many people in Europe listen to the Trump-supporting Musk.

Quite obviously enough to make the entire EU worry about losing control of power.

[herfiehandbag]

On 1/10/2025 at 2:36 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder how many people in Europe listen to the Trump-supporting Musk.

 

I agree with Olaf Scholz: ‘Don’t feed the troll’

I suspect that relatively few German voters will decide on the basis of what Musk says.

 

The "dyed in the wool" AFD supporters will vote for AFD anyway. Those opposed to AFD are unlikely to be swayed by Musk or indeed any foreign trumpeting (!), those that may be open to persuasion are predominantly young voters. Most undecided will follow more traditional persuasion.