X could be facing new penalties in Europe, with EU investigators now exploring whether the Elon Musk-owned platform may have violated EU rules, due to its change in approach to allow more speech, including more harmful content, under Musk’s more open content policies.
At the same time, EU officials have also come under pressure to explore Musk’s own political commentary, and whether he’s interfering in democratic process through his capacity at X.
As reported by Bloomberg, EU officials are “energetically” pushing forward in their investigation into the app, with a view to presenting X with its findings as soon as possible.
Under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), social platforms are required to adhere to strict rules around content moderation, including the spread of misinformation in their apps. The Commission launched an investigation into X back in 2023, shortly after Musk took over at the app, in order to assess whether X’s “freedom of speech, not reach” approach breaches these guidelines.
As noted, EU officials are also being pressed to step up their investigations of X, due to Musk’s increasing personal interest in European politics.
Musk has personally endorsed the controversial Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is viewed by many as a far-right-wing extremist group. At the same time, Musk has also shared his strong opinions on other EU regional leadership decisions, while Musk is also under scrutiny in the U.K. over his efforts to influence British politics.
The controversial billionaire’s regional meddling has raised further questions about his use of X, and whether he could also be looking to weaponize X’s algorithms in order to boost content that favors whatever perspective he chooses.
Indeed, EU officials will be watching closely today, as Musk hosts an interview on X with AfD leader Alice Weidel.
The broader concern, as noted, is that Musk may be artificially amplifying content to maximize the influence of the candidates that he chooses to support. And following the U.S. election, in which Musk played a key role in boosting the Trump campaign, there is a concern that this could enable Musk to wield significant political power, impacting democratic process.
Which is also against the DSA regulations, in relation to political neutrality. That’s not specifically what this current investigation is about, but it’s another factor in the broader approach, as the EU Commission looks to curb political bias.
And really, this seems like it may have been Musk’s plan for X from the beginning.
Stemming from his own past experience with the U.S. operatives, which have reportedly used Twitter to destabilize political leadership in South American nations, in order to secure more favorable deals on natural resources (including lithium, which Tesla needs for its cars), Musk looks to have set his sights on using his capacity at X to get Trump into power, as a demonstration of his ability to sway elections.
And with that eventually leading to a Trump victory, Musk may well now making deals to secure the same for other leaders in other regions, with agreements in place that will win him favorable treatment for his companies, if these candidates and parties should succeed.
As such, the ideological perspectives that Musk touts seem less genuine, and more a vehicle to secure the outcome that he desires, in order to gain strategic advantages to maximize his own empire-building plans.
That could be a pessimistic view of Musk’s intentions. But if there’s a chance that a billionaire is looking to wield such power, then officials in every region will be looking into such activity, and seeking to understand how, exactly, Musk may be approaching such.
And the EU Commission has a strong track record of penalizing those who breach its rules. As a result, you can expect to see Musk and X clash with more governments and regional regulators over the next years, as Musk shows no signs of easing up on his personal mission to sway voters around the world.
In response to the latest reports of increased EU scrutiny, X CEO Linda Yaccarino has said that this is “clear, unlawful retaliation for allowing an open discussion for all to hear.”
Which is the common refrain that X looks set to use to push back against any scrutiny of its actions.
