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Don’t Let Elon Musk Break Europe: A Call for Digital Independence  Back

Don’t Let Elon Musk Break Europe: A Call for Digital Independence 

22 Jan 2025

By Andre Wilkens 

For over a decade, the European Union has slumbered at the digital control board, ignoring the flashing red warnings. American and Chinese social media platforms, along with Russian troll armies, have been undermining our democracies and wreaking havoc on our political systems. Since Brexit, the European project has been under sustained digital attack from foreign state and corporate actors. 

Much like Vladimir Putin’s control over Europe’s energy supply exposed our vulnerabilities, Elon Musk’s dominance in Europe’s digital public sphere similarly highlights an overreliance on foreign critical infrastructure that does not align with European values. Musk’s influence goes further, openly promoting extremist and regime change in Europe. Both cases underscore the urgent need for Europe to reclaim sovereignty—whether over its energy or its digital ecosystem. 

When Putin weaponised Europe’s reliance on Russian gas, the continent was forced to confront the dangers of dependency on external actors for critical resources. Musk mirrors this dynamic in the digital realm. Under the guise of “free speech,” Musk has turned X into a breeding ground for extremism, misinformation, and polarisation, while extracting massive profits from European users and their data. Yet, instead of boycotting or disengaging from X, we continue to use and fund it. This constitutes a dangerous act of self-harm—or worse. 

Musk’s actions deliberately erode societal trust and destabilise public discourse, posing a systemic risk to European democracy. This is not just a business issue; it is an existential threat to Europe’s cooperative governance model. Much like the energy crisis, this digital dependency demands urgent coordinated action. 

For too long, Europe has relied on the belief that this misuse of digital platforms can be addressed primarily through regulation. While robust rules are important, Europe must focus its regulatory agenda on issues like mandatory interoperability between digital platforms and one-click migration between platforms. However, legal provisions, no matter how well-crafted, cannot alone restore democracy. One cannot regulate their way out of an active battle. 

The solution lies in Europe creating its own “E”: a resilient, values-driven digital ecosystem that serves the European public interest. 

Inspired by the Airbus programme, which established Europe’s independence in aviation through shared resources and expertise, a European Digital Space Program could achieve similar success by fostering innovation, prioritizing public interest, and unifying digital infrastructure. This initiative would foster innovation while safeguarding democracy from external manipulation. 

How to fund it? Financing for such a programme could come partly from levies on non-European tech giants like X, Meta, Google, and TikTok. These companies have profited enormously from European users while contributing little to the ecosystem they exploit—and even harming it. Reinvesting these funds in a European digital infrastructure should be considered reparation for the damage caused. 

Europe’s response to Putin’s energy blackmail came too late, but it worked. Since Russia’s war against Ukraine, Europe has reduced its reliance on Russian oil and gas, diversified its energy sources, and embraced renewable technologies. Similarly, Musk-led destabilisation of the digital space must spur Europe to reclaim its digital sovereignty. This is not just about rejecting external control; it’s about building something better—a digital public sphere that embodies Europe’s commitment to shared values, bridges national divides, and fosters a collective European identity. 

Europe has often emerged stronger from its crises, transforming challenges into opportunities for unity and progress. Now is the time for another such transformation. By investing in its own digital ecosystem, Europe can turn the challenge posed by Musk’s X into a catalyst for innovation, empowerment, and the preservation of democracy. This is a defining moment for Europe. We must act decisively to seize this opportunity, building a future where digital citizenship safeguards our democracy and strengthens our unity. Procrastination is no longer an option. 

Andre Wilkens is the director of the European Cultural Foundation  

Photo by ev on Unsplash.

 

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