European democracies face a new threat of online influence and disinformation - not from autocracies like Russia, but from the United States of America. Elon Musk, the owner of Platform X and an ally of Donald Trump, uses his network to disparage leaders he doesn't like and promote far-right views and politicians. Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is moving to a Musk-style approach that prioritizes "freedom of speech" over independent fact-checking on his Facebook and Instagram platforms. European leaders may fear that if they come into conflict with these American billionaires in an attempt to protect their democracies, they could face retaliation from the White House itself.
The power that Musk brings with his vast wealth and social media reach is further enhanced by his closeness to the US president-elect. The owner of the X platform seems determined to stir up political unrest abroad. Musk has endorsed the far-right AfD party ahead of the German election and on Thursday live-streamed a conversation with their candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel. He has falsely accused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of being “complicit in mass rape” – a reference to a decade-old scandal involving child gang rape – brutally smeared a cabinet minister and called for the release of a jailed far-right activist. He asked his 211 million followers on the X platform whether the US should liberate Britain from its “tyrannical regime”.

For now, Meta's Zuckerberg does not use his platforms to promote personal or extremist views. However, replacing independent fact-checking with the "shared notes" model used by Iks - where it relies on users to report misinformation - even just in the US, raises the question of whether the content will be adequately controlled in other parts of the world. The move also seems like a cowardly attempt to curry favor with Trump after earlier friction. In addition to explicitly aligning himself with Musk's - and Trump's - idea of "freedom of expression," Zuckerberg said he would work with the new president to counter "institutionalized censorship" of internet platforms in Europe. That sets the stage for a clash between the US's hands-off approach and EU and UK demands to regulate content.
In response to Musk's actions, democratic leaders in Europe and other parts of the world should avoid overreacting in his favor. Starmer set an example of the appropriate tone this Sunday, when he said - without naming the owner of the X platform - that a "red line has been crossed" by those spreading lies and misinformation online. However, Musk has managed to impose a political agenda in the UK by artificially bringing a historical scandal back into the spotlight, however shocking and unfair it may be.
Europe's democratic values are so fundamental that leaders should not shy away from enforcing the rules designed to protect them - even if that means risking conflict with the heads of X-ray or Target, or with a US president returning to power
Some restraint may also be warranted because of the uncertainty over how long the friendship between Musk and Trump will last. There are already visible divisions in the pro-Trump coalition. A clash between the two would somewhat diminish Musk's influence - as well as the risks for politicians in other countries trying to contain him.
However, European leaders must make it clear that there are rules that networks like Musk's and Zuckerberg's must follow. The EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Internet Safety Act provide for heavy fines for major online platforms that fail to crack down on illegal content, including disinformation. An EU investigation last summer made preliminary findings that the X platform was in breach of the Digital Services Act in areas such as allegedly deceptive techniques to manipulate user behaviour, advertising transparency and access to data for researchers.
EU and UK rules are far from perfect. Both legal systems must be careful that technology regulation doesn't stifle innovation, a charge Zuckerberg leveled this week. However, accusations of leftist bias in content moderation in Europe are just a smokescreen for the political and personal agendas of Trump, Musk and Zuckerberg. Europe's democratic values are so fundamental that leaders should not shy away from enforcing the rules designed to protect them - even if that means risking conflict with the heads of X-ray or Target, or with a US president returning to power.
Transfer. A.Š.
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