Elon Musk accuses European Union of election interference after X fined

Giuseppe de vita
Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – US tech giant and billionaire Elon Musk accused the European Union of interfering in the 2024 United States presidential election. His statements come in the aftermath of the EU fining X €120 million for breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA).

X’s owner reacted to a post by another user, arguing the EU has a history of “going after Elon Musk” and wanted to discourage his live stream together with then-presidential candidate last year.

In a response, Musk said: 

“True. 

That was insane election interference!”

A day earlier, European Union regulators on Friday fined X, 120 million euros ($140 million) for violations of the bloc’s digital rules. The European Commission issued its conclusion following an investigation it launched two years ago into X under the DSA.

The Commission said it was penalising X because of three different violations of the DSA’s transparency requirements.

Why did the EU impose a fine on X?

Regulators stated that X’s blue checkmarks violate rules due to “deceptive design practices,” which could lead to scams and manipulation. They also noted that X did not meet transparency standards for its ad database, AP news reported.

The Commission stated that X’s database is compromised by design elements and access obstacles like “excessive delays in processing.” Regulators also noted that X creates “unnecessary barriers” for researchers attempting to access public data, which hampers research into systemic risks encountered by European users.

“Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU. The DSA protects users,” 

Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s executive vice-president for technology sovereignty, security, and democracy, stated this in a prepared statement.

How did Elon Musk respond to the EU’s imposing a fine on X?

In a response to the EU imposing a fine, Musk replied, “Bullshit” under a European Commission post about the fine. He also shared multiple messages criticizing the decision and added: 

“Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. The only way to know what you are voting for.”

“The ‘EU’ imposed this crazy fine not just on @X, but also on me personally, which is even more insane! Therefore, it would seem appropriate to apply our response not just to the EU, but also to the individuals who took this action against me,” 

Musk wrote in an earlier post.

Why did Musk criticise a former EU official over AfD support?

In the past, Musk also clashed with former Commissioner Thierry Breton over his support for Germany’s AfD party and called accusations of foreign meddling hypocritical. 

He also called EU Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová “the epitome of banal, bureaucratic evil” after she criticised him.

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Giuseppe De Vita is a journalist at Brussels Morning News, He is covering European politics, Law and Technology news. Lawyer at De Vita & Partners Law Firm specializing in Criminal Law, Military and Space Law, and Cyber Security. In April 2023, he authored the monograph "Governance in Extraterrestrial Space", showcasing his extensive legal expertise. He has acquired vast experience in handling criminal and civil matters, managing litigation before various levels of jurisdiction across the national territory. In 2010, he obtained a Master's degree in Information Technology Law. Additionally, in the same year, he served as a teacher in criminal-IT subjects at the Penitentiary Police School of Portici, providing courses aimed at officials and managers of the Penitentiary Police and the Penitentiary Administration, focusing on IT security. He also serves as a Workplace Safety teacher, conducting training courses at various organizations and educational institutions. Moreover, he is a lecturer on Anti-Corruption and Transparency. The law firm, under his guidance, assists both private and corporate clients in court, accumulating significant experience in criminal and civil disputes over the years. Furthermore, it conducts Risk Management and Compliance, Cyber Resilience, and Cyber Security activities, with a specific focus on privacy protection (EU Regulation 2016/679 - GDPR). Giuseppe frequently publishes articles in legal journals, analyzing various regulatory issues. He has contributed articles to the legal journal Altalex, of which he is also a member of the Scientific Committee.
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