Overview

• An Associated Press analysis of more than 20,000 posts found that 11 far-right European accounts collectively gained about 5 million followers between October 2022 and January 2025.
• On days Elon Musk retweeted or replied to their content, those accounts saw viewership rise two to four times and in some cases up to 40 times their normal daily views.
• Germany’s AfD co-leader Alice Weidel and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini turned these online surges into heightened electoral support and initiatives such as Starlink contracts.
• Several of the promoted figures, including U.K. activist Tommy Robinson and AfD’s Bjoern Hoecke, hold legal convictions or face allegations, intensifying scrutiny of Musk’s endorsement decisions.
• European Parliament vice president Christel Schaldemose and other officials are planning to strengthen oversight under the EU’s Digital Services Act, warning that Musk’s amplification amounts to a new form of foreign interference.