Elon Musk is a threat to European democracy, - Financial Times
Date: 2025-01-09 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WORLD
Billionaire and ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, is a threat to European democracy by using his social network X (Twitter) to denigrate politicians he doesn't like and promote far-right views, according to journalists from the Financial Times.
Meta (Facebook, Instagram) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reported to be putting "freedom of speech" above independent fact-checking on his platforms. The media writes that European leaders may now fear that if they come into conflict with American billionaires in an attempt to "defend their democracies," they could face retaliation from the White House.
Because of his wealth and reach on the social network X (Twitter), Musk has power, which is enhanced by his closeness to Trump. He recently backed the far-right AfD party ahead of the German election and baselessly accused UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer of "complicity in mass rape" - a reference to a decade-old scandal involving child rape gangs, the article says.
Zuckerberg, for his part, has not yet used his platforms to promote his own or extremist views, but it already looks like a failed attempt to curry favor with Trump after past incidents, the journalists note. In addition to clearly embracing Musk's idea of "free speech", the Meta boss said he would work with the future president to counter the "institutionalized censorship" of online platforms in Europe.
According to the publication, democratic leaders in Europe and elsewhere should avoid a panicked reaction that plays into Musk's hands. Especially since "splits have emerged" in the coalition of Trump supporters that will weaken Musk's influence and reduce the risks for politicians trying to contain him.
"European leaders must make clear that there are rules by which Musk and Zuckerberg's networks must play. The EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety Act threaten large online platforms that fail to clamp down on illegal content, including forms of disinformation, with hefty fines," the FT writes.
