### Elon Musk’s Entry into Global Right-Wing Politics Raises Red Flags in the EU
Elon Musk, the billionaire business magnate and proprietor of X (previously known as Twitter), has increasingly established himself as a divisive figure in the realm of global politics. His escalating association with right-wing beliefs and his utilization of the platform to promote conservative viewpoints have sparked concerns, especially within the European Union (EU). This development has led the European Commission (EC) to ramp up its scrutiny of X’s adherence to the **Digital Services Act (DSA)**, a pivotal EU law designed to guarantee transparency, responsibility, and safety across large online platforms.
#### The EU’s Inquiry into X and the Digital Services Act
The EC’s examination of X, initiated in 2023, represents the inaugural formal investigation under the DSA. This legislation mandates that “very large online platforms” comply with rigorous standards for content moderation, misinformation reduction, and transparency. The objective is to cultivate a safer online atmosphere, minimize the dissemination of illegal content, and promote equitable digital competition.
The inquiry was originally spurred by worries regarding X’s management of illegal content, notably during the spread of misinformation in the aftermath of Hamas’ assaults on Israel. The EC is analyzing X’s risk management strategies, content moderation frameworks, advertising transparency, and the accessibility of data for researchers. Particular focus is being directed toward X’s **Community Notes** feature, which empowers users to collaboratively fact-check content, and its function in mitigating hazards to civic discourse and electoral systems.
In a communication to EU legislators, EC technology commissioner Henna Virkkunen and justice chief Michael McGrath affirmed that the investigation is advancing quickly and may reach a conclusion shortly. If X is determined to be in violation of the DSA, the platform could incur penalties amounting to 6% of its global revenue or be mandated to enact substantial changes to align with the law.
#### Musk’s Growing Engagement in Politics
Elon Musk’s personal political involvement has intensified the situation. Throughout the past year, Musk has publicly backed right-wing leaders and initiatives, encompassing his support for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and endorsing contentious far-right figures like Germany’s Alice Weidel. His platform, X, has faced backlash for promoting polarizing narratives, such as posts relating to “grooming gangs” in the UK, which were allegedly affected by a limited number of profiles featured on Musk’s “For You” feed.
Detractors contend that Musk’s actions highlight the dangers of algorithmic radicalization, with some suggesting he has fallen prey to his platform’s inherent design. Bruce Daisley, a former Twitter executive in Europe, commented that Musk seems to be the initial tech leader ensnared in the “rabbit hole of radicalization” due to his own creation.
#### Potential Consequences for X in the EU
The EC is vigilantly tracking Musk’s activities, especially his imminent live-streamed dialogue with Alice Weidel. Authorities are probing whether X’s algorithms are being manipulated to elevate right-wing perspectives, which could be a violation of the DSA. If substantiated, such conduct could attract significant penalties for X, spanning fines and enforced operational modifications.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has urged the EC to take decisive action, cautioning that failure to act could compromise the EU’s capacity to defend democratic processes. “The European Commission must either enforce the laws we’ve established to safeguard the public space with utmost rigor or it won’t,” Barrot emphasized, underscoring the necessity of robust DSA enforcement.
#### The Significance of Community Notes and Content Moderation
One of X’s most debated features is **Community Notes**, a crowdsourced fact-checking initiative that Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino have touted as a groundbreaking method to combat misinformation. At CES 2025, Yaccarino labeled Community Notes as a “global collective consciousness” that ensures user accountability in real time. She claimed that the feature has considerably enhanced brand safety on X and aided in the return of 90% of advertisers who had previously departed from the platform.
Nevertheless, skeptics continue to question the efficacy of Community Notes. Research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and other entities has illuminated deficiencies within the system, including sabotage by politically charged users who downvote fact-checks with which they disagree. Furthermore, studies have indicated that Community Notes frequently target different categories of posts than conventional fact-checkers, implying that a multi-faceted approach might be essential to comprehensively tackle misinformation.
The EC’s investigation could reveal whether Community Notes serves as a viable substitute for traditional content moderation or if it exacerbates the spread of detrimental content. Should the system be deemed insufficient, X might face pressure to rehire the thousands of content moderators who were let go following Musk’s takeover of Twitter.
#### Wider Implications for Democracy and Digital Governance
The ongoing inquiry into X highlights the overarching difficulties in regulating digital platforms amid a climate of political division and algorithmic sway. Musk’s actions have ignited fears that social media platforms
