What a travesty.

Ultimately, it's about information control, handing users over to European authorities, and the interpretation of free speech.

100%.
What's the difference between X and Meta, re. ticks, checkmarks, or whatever signifiers they use? Also, since when did the EU prove impartiality and honesty beyond reproach, so they could be in charge of who "influences" my political and online activity? Clowns.

It's this incessant posturing as "the good guys" that makes the EU look like such weasels, in my opinion. "Oh, it's all so that the good, kind people won't fall prey to malicious political influencers and bad faith actors" when (as far as European citizens are concerned, at least) the EU are the worst of this lot.

Alas, plenty of Europeans love this nanny state who takes out "villains" like Musk. At our core, we want a great daddy to look over us and keep bad guys from our door, which is why the deceptively simple logic of "us good, them bad" has such a roaring success on this once-noble continent.