EU Commission has faced criticism from European lawmakers for its slow enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) as concerns rise over Elon Musk’s influence on European politics. This is ahead of Musk’s planned livestream conversation with Alice Weidel, leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), on Thursday.
A debate hosted on Elon Musk’s X platform, with 211.4 million followers, is seen as an electoral windfall for the AfD ahead of February 23 polls in Germany. Damian Boeselager, a lawmaker and Volt party co-founder, called for an investigation into Musk’s action, arguing they appear to contravene DSA provisions for transparency. According to him, it was reported that the algorithm in X had changed to favor more Musk’s posts.
Boeselager expressed concerns over Musk’s growing political activism. He pointed out a recent post where Musk promoted the AfD, saying “only the AfD can save Germany.” Boeselger then argued that giving opinion-making power to one person might be dangerous to democratic processes.
The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, urged the Commission to apply the DSA vigorously enough and recommended that the member states take over enforcing it if the EU fails to do so accordingly. The DSA was enacted in 2022. It is targeting the tech giants responsible for illegal content, disinformation, or election interference, with punishments that may include fines up to 6% of global turnover or bans at the EU level.
In December 2023, the Commission began an investigation against X for various DSA violations, including misleading practices related to the sale of verification badges. The investigation remains open, however, and has been criticized by lawmakers such as Arba Kokalari, who called for faster action against disinformation.
Christel Schaldemose, a Social Democrat vice-president of the European Parliament, stressed the need for proactive enforcement to mitigate systemic threats to democracy. She questioned whether Musk’s algorithm adjustments align with DSA regulations.
Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton described Musk’s support for the AfD as foreign interference, implying it gives the party an unfair edge. The Commission said it is closely studying Musk’s activities and added that platforms must ensure content is treated equally.
The Spanish government joined other European nations in condemning Musk’s provocative posts, saying he was pushing a reactionary agenda that undermined democratic institutions.
