Musk Claims EU Tried To Cut A Secret Censorship Deal With X

Elon Musk accused the European Commission of attempting to make a secret deal with X, his social media platform, to censor content quietly. Musk alleged that the EU promised to withhold fines if X complied with the censorship without public knowledge. In a tweet on Friday, Musk claimed, “The European Commission offered X an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us. The other platforms accepted that deal.”

These allegations come in response to the European Commission’s charges against X for breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA). Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s executive vice president, stated that X failed to comply with key transparency requirements, misled users, and did not provide adequate ad repository access. The DSA, effective since February, mandates social media platforms to remove harmful content and misinformation, with non-compliance penalties reaching up to 6% of global revenue.

The commission specifically criticized X’s blue checkmark system, claiming it misleads users. Initially, the blue checkmark indicated verified public figures, but under Musk’s ownership, it now signifies paid subscribers, which the EU says negatively impacts users’ ability to discern the authenticity of accounts. Additionally, X has been accused of not providing searchable and reliable information about advertisements, violating DSA requirements.

Musk dismissed the EU’s claims, expressing readiness to challenge the charges in court. He emphasized the need for transparency, stating he looks forward to a “very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth.”

These developments highlight the ongoing tensions between Musk’s management of X and regulatory authorities, raising questions about the future of social media governance and free speech.