The European Union (EU) is ramping up its scrutiny of X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, as part of an ongoing investigation into the platform’s compliance with the censorship law, the Digital Services Act (DSA). This comes ahead of a live discussion planned between Musk and Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, raising more concerns over the increasing pressure to censor political speech.
EU regulators have made it clear that they intend to analyze the live conversation scheduled for Thursday, treating it as part of their broader probe into X. The investigation, launched in December 2023, focuses on alleged breaches of the DSA, particularly in areas such as civic discourse and disinformation. Critics, however, argue that such probes are being weaponized to stifle free expression under the guise of “risk mitigation.”
“Nothing in the DSA prohibits any platform to have a live stream and to express personal opinions,” said a European Commission spokesperson, acknowledging that platforms retain some autonomy. However, they added, “What is very clear, what we will look at in the context of the current proceedings is whether the platform operates within the legal boundaries of the DSA and if it has assessed the risks.” This vague language has raised alarms among free speech advocates, who question whether such assessments are veering into censorship.
