EU commissioner calls Musk ‘promoter of evil’ over antisemitism

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Vijaya Laxmi Tripura
  • Update Time : Saturday, October 19, 2024
Elon Musk

In a scathing critique, Vera Jourova, the outgoing EU commissioner for values and transparency, labeled Elon Musk, CEO of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), a “promoter of evil.” In an interview published by Politico on October 16, Jourova accused Musk of failing to combat antisemitism on X and facilitating the spread of hate speech. Her remarks come amid growing scrutiny from the European Union over X’s adherence to its stringent digital content laws.

Jourova’s comments are part of a broader conversation about the role of social media platforms in curbing harmful content, and her remarks have placed Musk and X at the center of an ongoing debate on free speech versus the regulation of digital platforms.

Jourova’s criticism of Musk was unflinching. She claimed that he was unable to “recognize good and evil” and accused him of actively contributing to the spread of harmful content. “We started to relativize evil, and he’s helping it proactively. He’s the promoter of evil,” she told Politico. Her comments suggest a deep concern about the influence Musk wields through X, which she described as “the main hub for spreading antisemitism.”

Jourova, who has never met Musk personally, nonetheless argued that his management of X reflects a failure to address the moral responsibilities that come with running such a powerful platform. “Out of all the bosses I met, he is the only one who is not able to recognize good and evil,” she said, further describing her fears about digital platforms being in “bad hands.”

Her central criticism hinges on the platform’s alleged failure to take “sufficient action” to curb the rise of antisemitic rhetoric. Jourova’s comments were framed within the broader European context, where the bloc has enacted strict rules to regulate harmful online content.

Musk, known for his outspoken persona on social media, quickly fired back at Jourova’s accusations. Taking to X, he dismissed her comments with a stinging reply: “If she wants to know what evil looks like, she just needs a mirror.” His retort highlights the escalating tensions between Musk and EU regulators, who have taken a hardline stance on combating hate speech and disinformation online.

Musk’s tenure as the owner of X has been characterized by a commitment to maintaining a platform that values free speech, though critics argue that this has sometimes come at the expense of properly addressing hate speech. Since taking over Twitter in 2022, Musk has made numerous pledges to make X a more transparent and censorship-free space while also claiming he would combat hate speech. Earlier this year, Musk visited Auschwitz, the site of a former Nazi death camp, seemingly as part of his effort to show his opposition to antisemitism.

In response to Jourova’s criticisms, Musk defended his platform, claiming that X has “the least amount of antisemitism” compared to other social media platforms. While acknowledging that eliminating hate speech entirely from a platform with over 600 million users is impossible, he stressed that X had made considerable efforts to reduce it. “It’s never going to be zero if you’ve got 600 million people on the platform,” Musk argued.

Jourova’s remarks come against the backdrop of the European Union’s tough regulatory environment for digital platforms. In 2022, the EU adopted the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping regulation aimed at holding online platforms accountable for illegal content and disinformation. The DSA empowers the European Commission to fine platforms up to 6 percent of their annual global revenue if they fail to comply with these regulations.

X, under Musk’s leadership, has already found itself under scrutiny for allegedly violating aspects of the DSA. In July 2023, the European Union released preliminary findings accusing X of failing to meet DSA standards in several areas, including the use of “dark patterns” (designs that manipulate users), advertising transparency, and access to data for researchers. The findings raised concerns that X could face substantial fines if it does not take corrective action.

Jourova’s comments about Musk’s leadership and the platform’s failures reflect the EU’s growing impatience with tech giants who, in their view, do not do enough to combat harmful content. Her statement that digital platforms could be “in bad hands” underscores a broader anxiety within the EU about the power of social media and its impact on democratic discourse.

The clash between Musk and Jourova highlights a fundamental tension between the ideals of free speech and the need for regulation to prevent harm. Musk has consistently positioned himself as a champion of free speech, often advocating for minimal censorship on social media platforms. His acquisition of Twitter and subsequent rebranding as X were motivated, in part, by a desire to create a more open and transparent forum for discourse.

However, this approach has drawn sharp criticism, particularly in the European context, where there is a greater emphasis on regulating digital content. The EU’s DSA represents one of the most comprehensive attempts to impose accountability on tech giants, and Jourova’s remarks reflect the belief among European officials that Musk’s laissez-faire approach to content moderation is insufficient to combat the rise of hate speech and antisemitism.

The issue is particularly sensitive in Europe, where the memory of the Holocaust and the rise of far-right movements in recent years have fueled concerns about the resurgence of antisemitism. Jourova’s claim that X is now a “main hub” for spreading antisemitism taps into broader fears about the role of digital platforms in amplifying dangerous ideologies.

The public feud between Musk and Jourova is emblematic of the broader conflict between tech billionaires who prioritize free speech and regulators who seek to limit harmful content online. As the EU continues to enforce its Digital Services Act, platforms like X will likely face increasing pressure to comply with strict content moderation rules.

Musk’s defiant response to Jourova’s criticisms suggests that the battle over the future of online speech is far from over. As tech platforms become ever more integral to public discourse, the question of how to balance free expression with the need to prevent harm will remain a contentious and unresolved issue.

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Avatar photo Vijaya Laxmi Tripura, a research-scholar, columnist and analyst is a Special Contributor to Blitz. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

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