Elon Musk sues German broadcaster over riot incitement claim

Elon Musk has initiated legal action against German broadcaster ZDF, announcing on X that he would take legal action over what he called "outrageous lies." The dispute stems from the introduction to the June 12 edition of the program "ZDFheute Live," where presenter Christina von Ungern-Sternberg stated that a "racist mob then hunts migrants" and that the "call to action came from a British far-right extremist and tech billionaire Elon Musk."

Musk's legal team, led by attorney Joachim Steinhöfel, sent a legal warning letter to ZDF. The broadcaster confirmed on Tuesday that it had complied with the demand for a cease-and-desist declaration, removing the passage in question from the program's introduction and avoiding a formal injunction lawsuit. ZDF had already added a transparency notice correcting the broadcast on Saturday.

Steinhöfel indicated that this might be the start of a longer dispute, suggesting Musk could review all ZDF reports about him from recent years for potential legal violations. While Musk could seek damages or a correction, Professor Tobias Gostomzyk of TU Dortmund's Media Law department noted that proving measurable economic loss directly caused by the statement would be difficult. Compensation for violation of general personality rights would likely be modest unless it was a serious violation not adequately remedied by other means.

Legal action in the United States is also a possibility, according to Steinhöfel, if the report was received there. However, attorney Hans-Jürgen Homann suggested Musk's legal position as a "public figure" might be weaker in the U.S. due to broader press freedom protections.