Elon Musk’s plan to hold a conversation with the leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on his X social media platform has angered European politicians, but they are struggling to stop him.
The tech billionaire will speak with Alice Weidel, chairwoman of Germany’s far-right AfD party, on Thursday. The country currently ranks second in opinion polls ahead of the February 23 election, running on a platform that includes “defending freedom of expression”, tightening asylum laws, ending financial support for asylum seekers and lifting planned restrictions on internal combustion engine cars. wait.
Although the party was labeled a “suspected extremist organization” by Germany’s domestic intelligence services and tried to fight it in court, Musk said in December that “only the AfD can save Germany” and published a supportive post The party’s opinion piece was in a German newspaper.
“Don’t feed the trolls,” outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told German weekly Stern When asked about Musk’s attacks on himself and other politicians in the country, German opposition leader Friedrich Merz called Musk’s interference “intrusive and pretentious” in an interview Fink Media Group.
The anger has crossed borders, with French President Emmanuel Macron also criticizing Musk and former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, saying the interview would give Wedel a “significant and valuable advantage.”
However, Matthew Holman, a technology, privacy and artificial intelligence partner at law firm Cripps, told CNBC in emailed comments that if the content of the interview was legal, the live broadcast would not violate any laws, noting that This is “an essential component of freedom of expression.”
“However, if this was the only interview Musk had given to a German political party at the time, legislators might view X and Musk as having an impact on civil discourse by failing to give equal weight to all mainstream views or promoting a party in a polarizing way. Negative impact Holman added that interviews with the Alternative for Germany alone or without effective third-party live hosts affected the electoral process in Germany.
CNBC has contacted X for comment.
The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) is a wide-ranging piece of legislation designed to regulate content on large online platforms, including X, placing platforms responsible for assessing and mitigating risks in areas such as civil discourse and electoral proceedings.
European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said in emailed comments that this includes “the obligation to analyze and mitigate the risks arising from any preferential treatment or visibility given to content on specific platforms, including Musk’s Mr. Content on his platform.
He added that the committee will hold a roundtable on January 24 to discuss risks before the German election, and that the German Digital Services Coordination Organization and large online platforms including X. will also participate.
Simone Ruf, deputy director of the German advocacy group Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte User Rights Center, said that while there are only a few reports of Algorithm X pushing content from the AfD, there are many reports that Musk’s own posts are favored. Rights and Human Rights, told CNBC via email.
“If he were to support the Alternative for Germany through political statements and live broadcasts of candidates in this way, that could easily violate the DSA,” she said.
Ruf also noted that because the European Commission was already seeking information from X about cutting its content moderation resources, it was able to order interim measures to prevent users from being harmed. “This could include banning X’s proposed algorithm before the federal election,” she suggested.
However, it is unclear whether calls for such measures will succeed and how they will work in practice.
Meanwhile, German civil society initiative LobbyControl argued that the interview could even be considered an illegal party donation. The organization pointed out that Musk has made it clear that his goal is to promote the growth of the Alternative for Germany and is using the resources of his platform to achieve this goal, and that this interview may be broadcast more widely than the content of ordinary X users.
“So, in this case, we can indeed talk about political advertising because Platform X typically sells this influence at a premium,” the group said in a statement. statementaccording to a CNBC translation. LobbyControl points out that election promotion through third parties is legally considered a donation and donations from countries outside the EU are prohibited.
This is not the first time Musk has supported right-wing parties and figures in Europe. Until recently, he supported Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform party, and launched a tirade against the current British government, led by Labor leader Keir Starmer, asking whether “the United States should” Liberate the British people.”
About The Author
