‘Eurofounder’ Jokes He’s Going to Prison Over His Posts: Here’s What He Said When Told to Flee to US

Matthias Schmidt, who posts on X under the handle @eurofounder, has joked that he could be heading to prison after sharing a screenshot of a fabricated European Commission legal notice demanding that he stop publishing material about the European Union. 'Looks like I'm going to prison for posting memes,' Schmidt wrote alongside the image on 19 August 2026.

The document, headed 'Formal Notice' and purporting to come from the European Commission's Legal Service, accuses the account of publishing 'offensive, factually inaccurate and misleading' material about EU institutions, policies and officials.

It specifically references AI-generated images that allegedly distort the representation of the Union and demands that existing posts covered by the notice be deleted. The document is a satire created by Schmidt himself.

The Commission's formal infringement procedures are used against EU member states that fail to implement EU law, while its Digital Services Act powers target very large online platforms and their providers, not individual users posting memes on X. No evidence has emerged of any real legal action against the account.

The Possible Posts Behind the Controversy

The screenshot does not identify individual posts, so it is not possible to say with certainty which content the fictional notice was meant to target.

However, Schmidt regularly publishes satirical posts that fit the categories described in the document. These include exaggerated or AI-assisted commentary and images that mock EU institutions, regulation, bureaucracy and cultural attitudes. Examples include:

A post featuring an edited or AI-generated €100 banknote with an allegedly morphed photo of Greta Thunberg, which Schmidt later described as 'pretty irresponsible from my side'.

Another possible culprit post could be a cartoon-style meme showing a depressed 'Europe AI' figure watching muscular 'USA AI' and 'China AI' characters compete, captioned with a mock warning that the creator could face prison under EU law.

He even posted a satirical screenshot claiming ChatGPT would stop responding to European users after 5pm 'to comply with the EU employment laws'.

Schmidt also posted a heatwave weather post blaming Americans' use of air conditioning and demanding climate reparations from the US to the EU.

Furthermore, he once posted a lengthy fictional story in which Schmidt enthusiastically welcomes his 18-year-old daughter's 54-year-old boyfriend, a low-paid local GDPR official earning €2,250 before tax, as an ideal catch because of the prestigious public-sector job and EU child benefits.

These posts form part of Schmidt's consistent satirical persona that highlights perceived absurdities in EU regulation, public-sector culture and comparisons with the United States.

He Rejects the Idea of Moving to America

The prison joke quickly prompted followers to suggest that Schmidt should simply leave Europe. Anthony Formica replied: 'Come to America, Matthias. Live free.' Schmidt answered 'Do not insult me please.'

Another follower, Jiří Madeja, told him to 'Tell Elon and move to the US.' Schmidt's response was more direct: 'I'd rather spend the rest of my life in the EU jail, than live freely in America.'

That reply fits the character Schmidt has built on X. His account presents itself as a European founder and frequently contrasts European regulation and working culture with the United States through irony and exaggeration.

There is still no independent confirmation, nor any indication, that the European Commission actually sent the document shown in Schmidt's post. The Commission's formal infringement procedure is used when an EU country fails to meet its obligations under EU law.

Under the Digital Services Act, the Commission can investigate and sanction very large online platforms and impose fines on providers for breaches.