EU To Carefully Assess Musk's Live Stream With German Far-Right Leader On X
(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))
BRUSSELS, Jan 6 (KUNA) -- The European Union said Monday that it will "carefully assess" the live stream scheduled to take place between American billionaire and owner of the platform X, Elon Musk, and Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), next Thursday on X.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said that the Commission will examine whether the live conversation between Elon Musk and Alice Weidel, constitutes a breach of EU platform rules.
Regnier pointed out that the live discussion on X does not violate European rules, explaining that the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) does not "censor any type of content."
The European Commission spokesperson confirmed that "nothing in the Digital Services Act prohibits any platform from conducting a live stream or expressing personal views," adding, "what is very clear, and what we will consider in the context of the ongoing proceedings, is whether the platform operates within the legal boundaries of the Digital Services Act and if it has assessed the risks."
He continued: "Mr. Musk is allowed to express his personal and political opinions in the EU, both online and offline."
Regnier noted that the ongoing investigation into the X platform "includes suspected breaches in areas related to the management of risks in civil discourse and electoral processes." He said the EU would "carefully assess" the live stream and could include it in its current investigation if any risks are identified.
He added that platform owners must ensure that they are "not misused or giving preferential treatment to certain types of content or increasing the visibility of just one type of content."
On January 24, the European Commission will hold a discussion with German authorities, civil society organizations and the world's largest digital platforms including X to discuss online risks ahead of Germany's election.
Under the Digital Services Act, users have the right to opt out of seeing certain content, meaning X must allow users to avoid any mention of the Alternative for Germany chat if they wish.
The EU seeks to determine whether X uses its algorithms to promote far-right messages.
In December 2023, the European Commission opened an official investigation targeting the X platform over alleged violations of European laws regarding content moderation.
The announcement by the leading candidate for the German parliamentary elections from the far-right Alternative for Germany party, Alice Weidel, that she expects to hold a live online discussion with billionaire Elon Musk on January 9 sparked controversy.
The German government accused the American billionaire Elon Musk of "attempting to influence the elections" by repeatedly supporting the far-right alternative for Germany party. (end)
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