Fact-check: EU has not said it wants to ban X over Musk interference

The leader of France’s National Rally, Jordan Bardella, has claimed European Union officials want to ban X, formerly Twitter, over fears its owner Elon Musk is manipulating the platform for political gain.

In a video posted on his X account, Bardella — who also chairs one of the European Parliament’s hard-right groups — said: “Many European officials (...) are calling for a ban on the digital platform X, previously Twitter, claiming its owner, Elon Musk, is using it to promote certain values, opinions or candidates for elections.”

Tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk has sparked controversy in recent weeks after wading into Europe's domestic politics, including endorsing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of Germany's federal elections on 23 February.

Bardella and other hard-right voices, such as Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have dismissed concerns Musk’s interference could amount to undue influence and heaped praise on the X owner as a defender of free speech.

But other European leaders, such as Germany’s Scholz, France’s Macron and Spain’s Sánchez have warned Musk against interfering, while Belgian caretaker Prime Minister Alexander de Croo has urged the European Commission to “take action” against X.

Euroverify fact-checked Bardella’s claims, and found no evidence that the EU executive is considering a ban on the platform, despite that option existing as a last resort under its digital rulebook.

Musk’s use of X to promote AfD ahead of the German ballot has prompted speculation that his actions could be in breach of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping digital rulebook designed to rein in the power of online platforms.

Under the DSA, platforms with more than 45 million monthly users