Brussels Intensifies Probe Into Elon Musk, Signaling Growing Tensions Between the US and EU Over Free Speech and Online Censorship

Elon Musk, widely regarded as a free-speech champion, is under increasing scrutiny from European Union regulators. This comes amid a rising divide between the US and EU on the issue of online censorship.

The inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States is expected to mark a significant shift toward enhanced free speech protections in the US. However, across the Atlantic, EU leaders are doubling down on censorship policies aimed at controlling political narratives.

On January 17, EU officials signaled their intent to fully enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) against X (formerly Twitter), the platform owned by Musk. Critics argue the DSA serves as a tool for censorship, contradicting fundamental European values and the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. Elon Musk shared insight into these tactics, revealing via social media:

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.

𝕏 did not. https://t.co/4lKsaRsYoA

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2024

Reports from DNYUS note that EU regulators are expanding their probe into X for potential violations of the DSA. Officials have requested internal documents, including those related to X’s recommendation algorithms and content moderation policies, to study the platform’s practices. Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice president for tech sovereignty and democracy, stated:

“We are committed to ensuring that every platform operating in the E.U. respects our legislation, which aims to make the online environment fair, safe, and democratic for all European citizens.”

The DSA grants regulators the authority to require social media companies to address “hate speech, misinformation, and illegal content”—effectively enforcing their narrative and banning dissenting viewpoints.

The rift between US and EU regulatory approaches continues to grow. While the US values robust First Amendment protections, including for controversial speech, European officials see restrictions as a necessary safeguard for democracy and minority groups.

Adding to the debate, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced an end to the company’s fact-checking initiatives in the US and scaled back global restrictions on controversial topics such as immigration and transgender rights. Musk praised this decision, stating:

“This Is Cool.”

With no clear resolution in sight, EU regulators have now ordered X to preserve internal documents related to the investigation through the end of the year. The conflict between free speech advocates and censorship proponents shows no sign of abating.