‘Take X down if it refuses to conform,’ says German SDP MP Wiese

German Social Democratic Party (SDP) MP Dirk Wiese has called for using “all measures” against social media platform X under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) — including a shutdown if it failed to comply with regulations.

“The European Commission should use all the powers necessary to monitor social media platforms that do not respect the rules,” Wiese told Brussels Signal on January 31.

He argued that the DSA provided a legal pathway to crackdown on “fake news” and “hate speech”.

Wiese’s concerns went beyond content moderation, as he also accused X-owner and US tech billionaire Elon Musk of “interfering” in Germany’s upcoming elections.

“I am very concerned about billionaires trying to influence political debate in other countries,” he said.

Elon Musk is supporting a party of far-right extremists in Germany—people who think the same way as the NSDAP (Nazi Party) once did

According to Wiese, Musk had joined those who downplayed Germany’s historical past.

“Germany has a responsibility for its past with the crimes that we saw in Germany during the Second World War.

“I am very concerned that a billionaire is supporting these ideas of far-right extremists here in Germany,” he argued.

Wiese referred to Musk’s comments at an AfD rally on January 26 where he appeared to dilute Germany’s historical humanitarian violations.

At the event, Musk stated that Germans should “move beyond” their past, arguing that “children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents or great-grandparents”.

Wiese’s stance on Musk’s comments echoed those of outgoing Socialist Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who argued that Germany should continue to bear the responsibility for what happened in the past, particularly under the Nazi regime.

Elon Musk has appeared in a video call at the election campaign kick-off of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), again showing his strong support for the hard-right party. https://t.co/tCe0kEzYMz

— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 27, 2025

Wiese also called for anti-trust action against Musk, referring to the US Sherman Anti-trust Act, a federal law that prohibits anti-competitive business practices that was passed in 1890.

“The concentration of economic and media power in the hands of a single individual, as is the case with Elon Musk, poses risks to democratic processes and fair competition,” he stated on January 7.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also came under fire, with Wiese slamming his companies Facebook and Instagram for having recently removed fact-checking tools.

“Without fact-checking, these platforms become breeding grounds for fake news, hate speech, and disinformation,” he said, insisting that the EU “has the tools to act”.

With Brussels already increasing regulatory pressure on Big Tech, Wiese’s remarks signalled to many that European elites were gearing up for a crackdown on platforms that refused to play by EU rules.