Elon Musk, the well-known entrepreneur and founder of company X, plans to conduct an interview with Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right party “Alternative for Germany” (AfD). This event has attracted the attention of the commission overseeing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and preventing the spread of disinformation ahead of the elections in Germany.

EU Digital Services Act (DSA)

The DSA aims to tackle illegal content, such as incitement to revolution and deliberate manipulation to influence election results. Since 2023, platform X has been under scrutiny within the framework of the DSA due to suspicions of widespread explicit content and ineffective measures in countries with information manipulation.

Musk’s Involvement in Politics

After publicly supporting Donald Trump in the US presidential elections, Musk also backed the right-wing Reform Party in the UK and the AfD in Germany. His support for the AfD caused turmoil in Berlin, where all other parties have distanced themselves from this party, considering its dangerous and undemocratic nature.

What is the DSA?

The DSA regulates large online platforms, such as X and Meta, with more than 45 million users per month in the EU. Its main goal is to prevent unfair and competitive activities on the Internet and the spread of disinformation. For violating the DSA, a company can be fined up to 6% of its annual turnover.

Regulators’ Actions

About 150 EU employees ensure the enforcement of the DSA. Former EU Commissioner for Industry Thierry Breton reminded Weidel of the DSA rules and the requirements for free democracy during elections.

Stock Market Research

Musk’s interview with the AfD leader could cause increased market volatility, as news of such significant events can affect stock prices. Reaction to political news can lead to the emergence of stocks of well-known companies or sectors, which in turn can lead to an overall market trend.

Musk’s Conflicts with the EU

The EU and Musk have clashed several times since he took control of his social media platform, then called Twitter. Before Musk gave an interview to Trump in August last year, Breton demanded compliance with EU laws, as the live broadcast would be available in the EU. X CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote a letter calling it an “unprecedented attempt to extend a law that should apply in Europe to political activities in the US.”

The EU accused X of deceiving users with the blue checkmark, which was previously required to verify an account as an influential public figure but was changed to a designated paid subscription. Musk threatened legal action and accused the Commission of offering X a secret deal to censor speech without providing evidence. Breton denied this.

The Commission also accused X of failing to ensure easy access to reliable and accessible information for finding information about advertising, as well as blocking access to its open data.