As many as 150 EU officials poised to analyze Musk's livestream with German opposition, reports Politico
Brussels is said to be keeping an eye on Elon Musk’s interview with Alice Weidel, co-chair of Germany's AfD party, to check for any potential legal infringements. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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Brussels is reportedly concerned that the AfD party could gain an “unfair advantage” ahead of next month’s snap elections.
The EU Commission intends to send a substantial team of experts and officials to monitor Elon Musk’s forthcoming live interview with Alice Weidel, the co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, PMG reported on Thursday.
Scheduled for Thursday evening, the event is seen by Brussels as potentially providing the AfD with an “unfair advantage” before Germany's snap parliamentary elections next month, according to the media outlet.
A total of 150 specialists from the EU Commission’s DG CONNECT tech department and the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency in Seville will be watching the conversation. PMG indicates that their focus will be on the algorithms utilized by X during the live stream rather than the content of the discussion itself.
Brussels is worried that the platform, owned by Musk, could significantly benefit the right-wing party through its internal algorithms, especially after the billionaire expressed support for the party in a tweet last December.
“How much is [it] or will it be boosted? This is what the Commission will be looking at,” said Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier on Monday, regarding the EU's plans. PMG mentioned that X might help the AfD politician engage a larger audience or diminish the visibility of content from opposition parties.
The monitoring team holds extensive powers under the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act and can request access to various aspects, ranging from the platform’s internal processes to its internal communications.
Under the DSA, the EU has the authority to impose fines on online platforms of up to 6% of their annual global revenue for not adequately addressing illegal content and disinformation, or for failing to adhere to the bloc’s transparency regulations. X has faced scrutiny from Brussels since December 2023 and was charged in July 2024 for allegations of misleading users, a lack of transparency, and the failure to provide certain public data.
PMG reported that all data collected during the evening could support that case; however, the ultimate decision on whether to proceed with charges will be made “at the very top of the Commission.”
EU tech czar Henna Virkkunen, along with her colleague Michael McGrath, stated in a letter this week that Brussels aims to “energetically advance with the case.”
In December, Musk referred to the AfD as the only party capable of “saving Germany” and applauded its anti-immigration policies, while criticizing Chancellor Olaf Scholz as an “incompetent fool.” In response, Scholz suggested that Musk might simply be seeking online attention and urged people not to “feed the troll.”
Klaus Muller, head of the German digital regulator, has advocated for a more lenient stance toward Musk within the EU. He remarked on Deutschlandfunk Radio Thursday that “not everything that you get upset about is also illegal,” emphasizing that freedom of expression inevitably includes “the freedom of those whose opinion you do not share,” while criticizing the “insane attention” given to the billionaire.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
The EU Commission intends to send a substantial team of experts and officials to monitor Elon Musk’s forthcoming live interview with Alice Weidel, the co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, PMG reported on Thursday.
Scheduled for Thursday evening, the event is seen by Brussels as potentially providing the AfD with an “unfair advantage” before Germany's snap parliamentary elections next month, according to the media outlet.
A total of 150 specialists from the EU Commission’s DG CONNECT tech department and the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency in Seville will be watching the conversation. PMG indicates that their focus will be on the algorithms utilized by X during the live stream rather than the content of the discussion itself.
Brussels is worried that the platform, owned by Musk, could significantly benefit the right-wing party through its internal algorithms, especially after the billionaire expressed support for the party in a tweet last December.
“How much is [it] or will it be boosted? This is what the Commission will be looking at,” said Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier on Monday, regarding the EU's plans. PMG mentioned that X might help the AfD politician engage a larger audience or diminish the visibility of content from opposition parties.
The monitoring team holds extensive powers under the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act and can request access to various aspects, ranging from the platform’s internal processes to its internal communications.
Under the DSA, the EU has the authority to impose fines on online platforms of up to 6% of their annual global revenue for not adequately addressing illegal content and disinformation, or for failing to adhere to the bloc’s transparency regulations. X has faced scrutiny from Brussels since December 2023 and was charged in July 2024 for allegations of misleading users, a lack of transparency, and the failure to provide certain public data.
PMG reported that all data collected during the evening could support that case; however, the ultimate decision on whether to proceed with charges will be made “at the very top of the Commission.”
EU tech czar Henna Virkkunen, along with her colleague Michael McGrath, stated in a letter this week that Brussels aims to “energetically advance with the case.”
In December, Musk referred to the AfD as the only party capable of “saving Germany” and applauded its anti-immigration policies, while criticizing Chancellor Olaf Scholz as an “incompetent fool.” In response, Scholz suggested that Musk might simply be seeking online attention and urged people not to “feed the troll.”
Klaus Muller, head of the German digital regulator, has advocated for a more lenient stance toward Musk within the EU. He remarked on Deutschlandfunk Radio Thursday that “not everything that you get upset about is also illegal,” emphasizing that freedom of expression inevitably includes “the freedom of those whose opinion you do not share,” while criticizing the “insane attention” given to the billionaire.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
