EU parliament debates Musk's social media influence
The European Parliament is preparing for a debate on Elon Musk and changes in content moderation by Meta, reports Euractiv. The largest parliamentary factions support the debate.
The European Parliament plans a debate regarding Elon Musk and changes in content moderation by Meta. According to Euractiv, the discussion will take place during a plenary session in Strasbourg, starting on January 20th.
The debate is supported by the two largest parliamentary factions: the Renew Europe liberals and the Socialists and Democrats group. They were the first to propose the motion, emphasizing the need to clarify whether Musk's comments on platform X (formerly Twitter) and his interview with Alice Weidel from Germany's AfD party comply with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).
The debate title proposed by the socialists is: "Elon Musk and the Misuse of Social Media - Threats to European Democracy". The European People's Party also submitted a proposal but suggests a different title.
What could Musk's company face?
The European Commission is monitoring the situation but avoids harsh assessments. The President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizes the importance of strengthening transatlantic ties.
Theoretically, for breaking EU rules, the EC can impose a fine of up to 6% of the company's annual revenue or suspend platform X's activities in the EU. However, these are remote possibilities— for now, the Commission has been investigating platform X since 2023, but there is no quick end to this procedure in sight.
