Election in Germany – “Risk”: EU warns against agitation on Tiktok and X

The EU parliamentary member Alexandra Gee (Greens) says. It not only calls the risk of the Bonds elections “great”. An EU Commissioner who does not want to be called, also talks about a “dangerous situation” before the elections. The EU is not helpless and she emphasized without weapons.

The sharpest ‘weapon’ of Europeans is the Digital Services Act (Digital Services Act, DSA) that has been in force since last year. The Brussels EU committee has used procedures against X, Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok. In the case of proven violations you can end with high fines for the companies. The DSA obliges companies, among other things, to prevent election manipulation or to remove hate messages that break the national laws.

MPS: X is in favor of extreme parties
“All companies that are active in the EU must adhere to our laws, regardless of who owns,” says FDP Mep Svenja Hahn. She points out the suspicion that the institutions of Musks platform X “favor” extreme parties “and therefore influence the election campaigns”.

The recommendation systems, the so-called algorithms, play a central role in the EU rules. You can display certain content more often and therefore distort public opinion. “There is a lack of understanding that Musk can manipulate the algorithms and get the most extreme opinions about X much more attention than others,” says Gee.

If the EU committee finds evidence in the ongoing investigation against X, “then the Committee must force X to use these recommendations,” requires the Greens politician. “Then people could decide for themselves what they want to see and not Elon Musk.”

EU committee paralyzed for Trump’s customs limits
In Brussels, however, it is unlikely that the Commission will act by President Ursula von der Leyen before the election of the Bundestag. It is said that she does not want to invest with the technical giants because of the customs bed threats of US President Donald Trump against Europe.

The EU committee also has its sights on the Tiitkok video of the Chinese companybytedance. Brussels accuses the platform of the Unilateral advertisement for the right-wing extremist, pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu through the algorithms in the presidential elections in Romania. Georgescu surprisingly won the first round of the elections at the end of November. The Romanian constitutional court then declared the elections invalid – because of the suspicion of Russian interference.

Parallel to the elections in Romania
The situation in Germany is not as risky as in Romania, the committee expert emphasizes. But it is also not as good as in Finland, which because of the proximity of Russia has much more experience with illegal manipulation on the internet.

In Germany, the Federal Network Agency in Bonn wakes up to meet the EU rules. Before the election of the Bundestag, she passed a “stress test”. Youtube, LinkedIn, Microsoft, the Facebook and Instagram Mother Meta, Snapchat, Tiktok and X names. It was about ‘minimizing risks within the meaning of digital law and effective and quick elimination of violations, the networking office explained. However, the authority did not comment on how the platforms were cut off.

No handling against Musk Campaign Interference
The EU has no handling in other forms of interference-and for example the technical billionaire Musk occurs on an AfD election campaign or shows a gesture that is clearly a Hitler greeting in the eyes of many. This is covered by freedom of expression, such as emphasizing EU representatives.

The FDP MP Hahn rejects even stricter rules. “Instead of a sham debate on new laws, it must be a consistent application of EU legislation,” she emphasizes. The European Digital Act ensures that “content that is illegal offline remains illegal online. This is not a limitation of freedom of expression, as populists often claim.