After Elon Musk’s endorsement of Germany’s anti-globalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, CDU Members of the European Parliament are urging the EU Commission to investigate how his social media platform, X, handles algorithmic visibility.
Users have reported seeing Musk’s posts in their feeds without following him, raising concerns about the transparency and neutrality of X’s recommendation algorithms.
In a letter penned by Daniel Caspary, Chair of the CDU/CSU Group in the EU Parliament, and MEP Andreas Schwab, the politicians questioned the platform’s practices. They stated, “This raises fundamental questions about the transparency and neutrality of the recommendation algorithms used by X.” Musk recently stirred controversy by declaring, “Only the AfD can save Germany,” and calling Chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incapable idiot” who should resign.
The backlash wasn’t limited to CDU politicians. Chancellor Scholz responded, asserting that while freedom of expression applies to billionaires, it also permits critique of inaccurate or ill-informed political statements. Thierry Breton, a former EU Commissioner, slammed Musk’s endorsement as potential “foreign interference,” accusing him of openly supporting a far-right party just weeks before Germany’s elections.
Meanwhile, AfD leader Alice Weidel embraced Musk’s comments, using them to fuel her campaign rhetoric. In a post, she criticized former Chancellor Angela Merkel as a “socialist” who had “ruined our country.”
Musk’s public support for the AfD has reignited debates about the influence of social media platforms on politics and the responsibility of tech billionaires in shaping public discourse.
