Elon Musk is throwing a very public tantrum after the European Union saddled the social platform X with a $140 million fine for "deceptive" blue checkmarks.
Business Insider reported on Musk's stream of anti-EU posts that fittingly emerged from his authentic, blue-checkmarked account. Musk's fury relates to the European Commission's determination that the platform's for-sale verification features create a confusing landscape for users.
The fine followed a two-year investigation, after which regulators contended X's system allows for verification without proper identity confirmation. That loophole paves the way for misinformation and artificial intelligence-driven scams. In response, Musk unleashed his full fury on X.
In a series of posts, Musk criticized the EU, comparing its actions to authoritarian regimes like the Nazis. He suggested member countries consider leaving the bloc, calling it a "good idea."
Another group of posts characterized the EU's Brussels headquarters as a bureaucracy-driven entity stifling innovation. Musk also took time to repost U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who accused the EU of "engaging in censorship" in anticipation of the punishment.
"The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage," Vance wrote on X in the post that Musk amplified.
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For its part, the European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier denied that the fine was about content moderation or censorship in a press conference. Regnier said it was about "transparency," per Business Insider.
Musk's outburst certainly won't undo the fine, and it seems like more of a bid to get validation from an echo chamber of his fans. On the merits of the case, there's no question that X's new blue check system could easily lead to confusion, disinformation, and misinformation.
Using the blue check marks, posters posing as experts, reporters, and authoritative figures can easily spread dangerous ideas and mistruths. AI is an easy tool to efficiently present and aggregate fake information and reporting in bespoke videos and posts.
Musk and Vance certainly have the right to claim the measures are censorship and governmental overreach, but it's clear these trends have real-world consequences.
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Definitely 👍 Another consequence of Musk's outburst is backlash from Europeans around his political conduct and interference with European bodies like the EU. It already seems that Musk's politics are damaging Tesla's European sales, so another scandal is simply not what Tesla needs.
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