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Elon Musk's decision to host German far-right leader Alice Weidel in a live stream on his platform, X (formerly Twitter), has sparked a backlash from European Union leaders and lawmakers.
As Politico reports, Brussels is being asked to use its legal power to oppose Musk's imminent involvement in the German election, scheduled for February 23.
According to the European Commission, Musk's action may violate the Digital Services Regulation (DSA), which regulates the operation of social networks. If the live stream is deemed to give the AfD unfair visibility over its rivals, sanctions could include fines of up to 6% of X's global turnover or even a temporary ban on the platform.
Feedback from Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron accused Musk of "going too far" with his support for the AfD, a party accused of trying to downplay Nazi crimes. The party is in second place in opinion polls, which gives particular importance to the upcoming elections in Germany.
German MEP Alexandra Giese noted that Musk's action goes beyond free speech, as his platform's algorithms allegedly disproportionately promote far-right propaganda while stifling progressive content.
Meanwhile, the European Commission, which has already launched an investigation into X's compliance with the DSA, has scheduled a meeting with German regulators and representatives of the platform on January 24.
The involvement of Musk, who will soon take up the post of minister in the Trump administration as head of the Productivity Department, complicates the EU's position. Some European leaders worry that any action against Musk could cause tension with the new US administration.
Felix Carte, senior analyst at the Mercator Foundation, stressed that European leaders must decide whether they are willing to clash with the Trump administration to protect transparency and democracy in Europe.
Legal and regulatory matters
The committee is considering whether Musk's actions violate the platform's obligation to mitigate risks to the democratic process, as set out in the DSA. Allegations that the platform artificially boosts the popularity of AfD-related content could be grounds for legal intervention.
Former digital policy commissioner Thierry Breton reminded Musk that support for certain political parties or individuals could breach European social media laws. Although Breton has left the European Commission, he remains highly critical of Musk.
Next steps
The European Commission faces the difficult task of implementing European law while managing the political implications at the same time. The outcome of the case will have important consequences for both transparency in elections and EU-US relations.
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