Elon Musk branded ‘instigator of evil’ by EU chief in row over internet moderation
As tensions between Brussels and Elon Musk escalate, one of the European Union’s top officials, Věra Jourová, has called the tech entrepreneur an “instigator of evil” for his management of X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jourová, who oversees EU efforts to combat online misinformation and hate speech, accused Musk of allowing the spread of harmful content, including anti-Semitism, on the social media platform.
Ms Jourová, who has served as the EU’s vice president for standards and transparency, made her comments as she prepares to leave Brussels after a five-year term. Speaking to Politico, he said, “We’ve started to put the evil together, and he’s helping further. He is an instigator of evil.”
The EU official’s comments come amid ongoing criticism of X over its content moderation policies since Musk took office in 2022. Under Musk’s ownership, X rolled back some rating rules, prompting the EU to accuse the company of violating telecommunications rules.
Ms. Jourová singled out X for being a “primary site for spreading anti-Semitism,” echoing concerns about the platform’s failure to curb hate speech. He has been highly critical of Musk’s policies, particularly the introduction of paid blue-tick verification, which the EU says has fueled the spread of false information.
The European Commission has threatened to fine X for breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates online platforms. Musk, however, says Brussels offered him a “secret deal” to avoid sanctions, a claim the EU denies.
The dispute is part of a wider conflict between the EU and Musk’s platform. UX has faced accusations of not following the rules of transparent advertising and of allowing content promoting Hamas, although no formal charges have been brought in connection with the matter.
As X’s tensions with Brussels continue to escalate, Musk is reportedly considering blocking X’s access within the EU. The move would be a significant escalation of the dispute and could have a major impact on how online forums operate in Europe under the bloc’s stricter rules.
With more EU regulations on the horizon, the war of words between Musk and Brussels is unlikely to die down anytime soon.
