Meta’s moderation changes and Musk’s influence on German elections: Can the Digital Services Act protect European users?
Following Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial announcement about scrapping third-party fact-checkers and replacing them with X-like community notes, experts are concerned that these moderation changes will negatively impact European users. This comes despite the Digital Services Act (DSA) having come into force in February last year to protect Europeans from online misinformation and hate speech.
Another issue troubling Brussels is Elon Musk’s recent livestream with the leader of Germany’s far-right AfD party. He’s been publicly supporting the party, raising accusations of interference in German elections.
Studio Europa Maastricht sat down with Dr. Sally Wyatt, Professor of Digital Cultures at Maastricht University, to discuss the potential impact of Meta’s recent decisions on democratic processes in the U.S. and Europe, how regulatory differences—such as the absence of the DSA in the U.S.—will shape online spaces on both sides of the Atlantic, and whether the DSA can effectively challenge American big tech companies.
The interview was conducted before Musk’s livestream with AfD’s Alice Weidel.
Also read
-
Read all about our research achievements of 2024 in the newly published annual research report
In-depth interviews with colleagues who have been appointed via the sector plans, and highlights the key achievements of FASoS research in 2024.
-
UM Education Research Day builds community and connects research with practice
More than 60 UM staff participated in the first UM Education Research Day, hosted by EDLAB. It was a fun day of meaningful and thought-provoking knowledge exchange, connection, skill development and interdisciplinary collaboration.
-
From Economics to Branding and Innovation: The journey of Patrick van Thiel
Patrick van Thiel’s academic journey began in Rotterdam before he found his true calling at Maastricht University in 1989. Drawn by the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) system, he quickly excelled academically, earning 90 credits in just one year. However, it wasn’t until he discovered his passion for...
