Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X, launched a series of critical comments against the European Union over the weekend, even going so far as to compare the bloc to the “Fourth Reich.” These remarks followed a €120 million fine levied against X by the European Commission on December 5th for alleged violations of transparency obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act. The controversy highlights growing tensions between Musk’s vision for X and the EU’s regulatory approach to online content moderation and platform accountability.
Musk’s criticisms aren’t new, and have been echoed by some figures within the former Trump administration, including the ex-president himself who stated Europe is “heading in a very bad direction.” He has previously accused the EU of being “undemocratic” and has amplified content expressing concerns about migration within member states. This latest outburst, however, has drawn significant attention and condemnation.
Musk’s Claims About X’s Popularity in Europe: Fact vs. Fiction
Following the fine, Musk repeatedly claimed that X experienced a surge in downloads and became the number one news app in Europe. He stated on Sunday that X was seeing “record-breaking downloads in many countries in Europe” and later proclaimed it was “now number 1 in every EU country.” However, publicly available data paints a more nuanced picture.
While X does appear in the top spot within the “news” category on the Apple App Store in some EU countries, it doesn’t consistently rank as the most popular overall free app. In major economies like Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Italy, X is not among the top ten most downloaded apps. In Germany, for example, Musk’s AI assistant, Grok, ranks higher than X itself, at number six. Similar trends are observed in Spain, where Grok is number one while X doesn’t feature prominently.
Data from third-party websites tracking Android app rankings on Google Play across Europe also doesn’t support a sudden, dramatic increase in X downloads. These charts are largely dominated by TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, and ChatGPT, with X and Grok appearing lower in the rankings. The Cube reached out to X for clarification on these download figures but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Research suggests that while traditional news outlets are losing ground with younger audiences, Europe remains more reliant on established news sources than the United States. The Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report indicates that X is used less frequently for news consumption compared to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Misinformation Regarding a Christmas Market Incident
Musk also re-shared a post from British far-right activist Tommy Robinson alleging that a car crash targeting Christmas market preparations in Guadeloupe resulted in ten fatalities and was part of an Islamist terror plot. This claim was quickly debunked by local authorities, who stated that several people were injured, but no one died. The perpetrator was found to be under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.
Robinson later clarified his statement, admitting he had incorrectly reported ten deaths. Musk has previously shared content from Robinson and the two have developed a public relationship, with Robinson thanking Musk for funding his legal defense. This incident raises concerns about the spread of disinformation on the platform.
The “Remigration” Debate and Public Opinion
Musk also amplified opinions suggesting widespread public support for “remigration” – a term often associated with far-right movements advocating for the forced deportation of migrants – across Europe. He re-shared a post referencing a Danish poll indicating over 70% support for deporting foreign nationals convicted of crimes, framing this as evidence that “remigration” is a “completely normal opinion.”
While deporting foreign criminals is a mainstream policy in Denmark and other European countries, the concept of “remigration” extends beyond this. It generally encompasses the large-scale deportation of individuals with migrant backgrounds, including long-term residents and naturalized citizens. Surveys show conditional support for returning migrants who have committed crimes or whose asylum claims have failed, but significantly less support for broader deportations.
Eurostat data reveals that non-EU citizens constitute only 6.4% of the overall EU population, and individuals born outside the EU represent 9.9% of Europe’s population. This challenges the narrative of a demographic “replacement” often promoted by proponents of “remigration.”
Allegations of a “Secret Deal” with the European Commission
Musk also repeated a claim from the previous year, alleging that the European Commission offered X an “illegal secret deal” to avoid fines in exchange for quietly censoring speech. Former European Commissioner Thierry Breton refuted this claim, stating that no such “secret deal” existed and that X was offered the opportunity to provide voluntary commitments to address concerns raised under the Digital Services Act.
The DSA allows platforms to offer commitments to rectify alleged breaches, which the Commission can then make legally binding. In June, the Commission publicly announced it had accepted commitments from AliExpress regarding the flagging of illegal products, demonstrating the transparency of this process. Breton emphasized that the Commission operates within established regulatory procedures.
The ongoing dispute between Elon Musk and the European Union underscores the challenges of regulating large online platforms and balancing freedom of speech with the need to combat disinformation and illegal content. It remains to be seen how X will respond to the fine and whether further negotiations with the Commission will occur. The EU’s commitment to the Digital Services Act suggests continued scrutiny of X’s operations and content moderation policies is likely.
