Elon Musk Stirs Controversy by Endorsing Right-Wing German Party, EU Politicians Suggest Limiting Tesla's Tech
As Elon Musk leverages his influential platform, X, to sway various European governments, politicians are pushing back. This week, as Musk continued to champion a far-right German party with alleged ties to neo-Nazis, EU officials suggested implementing new regulatory restrictions on X. One MEP even suggested shutting down the platform's recommendation algorithm.
Musk's recent actions have embroiled him in several conflicts, with the most intense being his war against British politician Keir Starmer. Musk has also spent ample time promoting the controversial German party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), which espouses German nationalism, hostility towards immigrants and Islam, and advocates for a Euro-Reaganomics favoring the wealthy. Musk announced an upcoming interview with AfD's leader, Alice Weidel, to air live on X.
The German newspaper Handelsblatt obtained a draft of a letter from EU MPs, which urges the EU Commission to consider regulatory action against Musk's X. The letter alleges that Musk's active role in German politics, alongside his potential influence in U.S. politics and X's algorithmic control, poses a "systemic risk" to the nation's election process. It also calls for interim measures to safeguard the German election. The letter was reportedly delivered to the EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen.
Handelsblatt anticipates the initiative will garner broad support in the EU Parliament, given Europe's growing frustration with Musk's behavior. Alexandra Geese, the Greens party MEP from Germany who authored the letter, told Handelsblatt that the Commission should promptly implement measures against X. She suggested that disabling the algorithmic recommendation feature could restore freedom of expression to all users without eliminating any content.
Although disabling X's recommendation algorithm would temporarily impede the platform's ability to manipulate content, it might not entirely halt the practice. X's algorithms remain shrouded in secrecy, leaving room for speculation about the ways it could alter users' feeds.
Gizmodo reached out to X for comment.
European politicians, including allies whom Musk once counted among his friends, have expressed their disapproval and concern with Musk's actions. French leader Emmanuel Macron criticized Musk in a speech to his colleagues, stating, "Who could have imagined that the owner of one of the world's largest social networks would support a new international reactionary movement and meddle directly in elections?"
France has subsequently pledged solidarity with its German allies. Benjamin Haddad, France's European Affairs Minister, expressed concern over Musk's actions to Handelsblatt, asserting that a powerful private actor should not interfere in the international affairs of a sovereign country in such a direct manner.
Despite the tech industry's rapid advancements in the future of technology, the actions of tech mogul Elon Musk have raised concerns amongst European politicians. The proposed regulatory restrictions aim to mitigate the potential systemic risks posed by Musk's influence over X, his social media platform, and its algorithmic control.