Twitter/X CEO Elon Musk has implied he is concerned about “political censorship” by the Irish Government. 

Media Minister Catherine Martin was recently asked at a press conference about the implementation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) and the State’s ability “to regulate so-called misinformation online”. 

“Is it not dangerous for democracy that powerful State institutions will get to decide what is and isn’t true?” the reporter asked. 

Ms Martin said the DSA is “a very important development for Ireland” to prevent misinformation particularly for children online. 

“Anything that can prevent misinformation should be welcomed,” she said. 

Replying to a video of the discussion on his social media platform, Mr Musk said Ms Martin’s response was “concerning”. 

“The temptation for governments to engage in political censorship is almost impossible for them to avoid,” he said. 

Mr Musk also asked when the next election in Ireland is. 

When is the next election in Ireland?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 26, 2023

The DSA means tech giants such as Google, Facebook, and X must comply with regulations that hold online platforms legally accountable for the content posted on them. 

Under the regulations, online platforms must implement ways to provide more transparency on how their algorithms work, to prevent misinformation and advertising of illegal goods. 

Platforms must also ban targeted advertising based on a person’s sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs and puts restrictions on targeting ads to children. 

The Media Commission will serve as Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator to ensure these rules are enforced in Ireland.