MPs are questioning the tech mogul’s attempts to interfere in German elections and his ties to the Italian government through SpaceX.
Members of the European Parliament They are pressuring the European Commission to investigate Elon Musk’s ventures. Influencing the German elections in FebruaryOn Thursday, he hosted a live broadcast with far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel. In a letter addressed to Henna Virkkunen, the European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, legislator Damian Boeselager (Germany/Greens) asked this week whether the algorithmic use of Musk’s platform meets the transparency requirements of the Digital Services Act (DSA). .
“There are indications that Musk has coded a multiplier into code X. This means undermining the impartiality of the algorithm In his statement to Euronews, Boeselager wrote that the Commission has not yet responded to his questions. When asked at a press conference today why there had been no political response from the Commission, a spokesperson for the institution said:This means fueling the debate. “This is a political option to avoid further fueling the debate.”
Digital Services Law Investigation
On Monday, a Community Management spokesperson said: The institution will analyze whether the billionaire’s live meeting with the German far-right leader violated the rules As part of the ongoing investigation on EU platforms, the investigation has not yet been concluded.
“There is no article in the DSA that prohibits any platform from broadcasting live and expressing personal opinions. This is very clear, What will we analyze? In the context of the current procedure, whether the platform operates within legal limits Legislator Axel Voss (Germany, EPP) told Euronews: “If our aim is to protect our democracy against interference through social networks, Such activities show where DSA clearly falls short“.
Musk’s interventions
Lawmakers are also questioning advanced negotiations between the Italian government and Elon Musk’s SpaceX on encryption systems for government communications over the Starlink satellite network. Alexandra Geese (Germany/Greens) wrote in X: “Meloni’s $1.5 billion deal with SpaceX provides government communicationsItalian defense and military forces to the unpredictable proto-fascist individual member of the future American Government threatening Ukraine. Europe’s security is at stake. Where’s the scream?”
European leaders spoke on Monday On Musk’s interventions in European politics. “Who could have imagined ten years ago “What if you said that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would support a new international reactionary movement and directly interfere in elections even in Germany?” French President Emmanuel Macron said:at the annual meeting of French ambassadors without naming Musk but leaving little doubt about his motives.
“I find this worrying “For a man with enormous access to social networks and enormous economic resources to be so directly involved in the internal affairs of other countries,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told public broadcaster ‘NRK’.
