The European Commission (EC) insisted this Monday that the American magnate elon Musk has the right to freedom of expression both online and offline, but warned that it will analyze any risk to democracy in the face of the upcoming elections in Germany under the Community Digital Services Act.
“The Digital Services Law does not censor any type of content. “You are free to express your opinions, but there are certain limits, especially when a platform is used or abused in that context,” said the community spokesperson. Thomas Regnier during the press conference of the European Commission.
The spokesperson thus responded when asked about the live interview that Musk has announced on his social network X for next Thursday the 9th with the leader and candidate for chancellor of the far-right party. Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, whose training the businessman has supported by considering her the only one capable of “save Germany”.
“Nails free elections and fair are the core of our democracies. “I have said it several times here and, under the Digital Services Law, large online platforms have to analyze and mitigate potential risks from different areas, including risks to electoral processes and civic discourse,” commented Regnier. .
He added that this includes “the obligation to analyze and mitigate the risks derived from any preferential treatment or visibility given to content on a given platform”, including Musk’s content on his own platform.
X, under suspicion
The spokesperson recalled in this sense that the Commission already opened a procedure against X in December of last year when suspecting that may be non-compliant points related to risk management on civic discourse and electoral processes.
According to him, “nothing” in European law prohibits the owner of a platform or anyone from organizing a live broadcast and expressing their personal opinions.
No obstante, precisó que “lo que analizaremos en el actual caso en el contexto de los actuales procedimientos son los riesgos sistémicos que pueden derivarse de ciertas prácticas en la plataforma, incluida dicha retransmisión en directo”, como por ejemplo el impulso que se dé a esa emisión.
En particular, por lo que se refiere a las elecciones alemanas, Regnier comentó que los servicios de la Comisión Europea, junto conelp el coordinador alemán de servicios digitales, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y grandes plataformas de internet, incluida X, organizarán una mesa redonda el próximo 24 de enero para abordar los riesgos antes esos comicios.
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