EU Warns Elon Musk Following Planned Trump’s Interview on X

Elon Musk, the owner of X, was forewarned by European Commissioner Thierry Breton yesterday that the company would be penalized for failing to stop the spread of illicit information.

Breton mentioned the riots that occurred in the UK as a result of false information about a deadly stabbing incident, as well as the meeting that Musk is scheduled to have with President Trump.

Breton forewarned Musk that in order to shield EU residents from "serious harm," the EU was ready to "make full use of our toolbox" under the Digital Services Act, including temporary measures.

Additionally, the Commission warned Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino that if the business doesn't stop the dissemination of unlawful content—such as hate speech and incitements to violence—on its social media platform, it might be subject to fines and restrictions in Europe. 

“I am writing to you in the context of recent events in the United Kingdom and in relation to the planned broadcast on your platform X of a live conversation between a US presidential candidate and yourself, which will also be accessible to users in the EU,” Thierry Breton, European commissioner for the internal market, wrote in a letter that was posted Monday on X.

“We are monitoring the potential risks in the EU associated with the dissemination of content that may incite violence, hate and racism in conjunction with major political – or societal – events around the world, including debates and interviews in the context of elections,” wrote Breton.

“I therefore urge you to promptly ensure the effectiveness of your systems and to report measures taken to my team,” he added, as quoted by CNBC.

Following receipt of the letter, Yaccarino called it “an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US.”

“It also patronises European citizens, suggesting they are incapable of listening to a conversation and drawing their own conclusions,” Yaccarino wrote on X.

On Monday night, Musk—who is also the CEO of Tesla—was scheduled to speak with Donald Trump on X's streaming service, Spaces.

The Spaces session, which Musk is promoting as an unscripted talk, will be one of Trump's few campaign activities this week. In a freshly competitive fight against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, the former president of the United States, a Republican, is still attempting to establish himself.

Amidst an investigation into possible legal violations at X, the commissioner reminded Musk of the due diligence requirements outlined in the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), legislation requiring social networks and streaming media platforms to prevent the spread of hate speech and other harmful content on their platforms. 

Breton warned Musk that the EU was prepared to “make full use of our toolbox” to protect EU citizens from “serious harm.”

Breton argued that X Corp. is "designated as a Very Large Online Platform" with a legal need to abide by European legislation, notably the Digital Services Act, given its reported 300 million users worldwide, of which one-third are situated in the EU.

Disinformation that circulated on X and other social media platforms, wrongly labeling the attacker of attacks on children attending a dance class in an English town as an asylum-seeker, was the cause of the riots that have occurred in the UK in recent weeks. 

Since then, Musk has used X to make a number of inflammatory remarks against the circumstances in the UK. He once wrote, "Civil war is inevitable," implying that the bloodshed occurring on British streets might lead to a civil war.

British officials have condemned Musk's remarks. Last Monday, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that there is "no justification" for remarks of that nature. 

Musk also posted a picture of a fictitious story that purportedly said that the UK was constructing "detainment camps" for rioters on the Falkland Islands. The headline was designed to appear as though it had come from the website of the daily "The Telegraph."

The photo, which was also shared by Ashlea Simon, the co-leader of the far-right Britain First party, has subsequently been removed by him. 

Musk was already under fire from UK officials before false information about the stabbings spread. The UK's technology minister, Peter Kyle, stated in an interview that was published in the Times newspaper last week that Musk is "accountable to no one" and that interacting with platforms such to his can resemble negotiations with foreign governments "simply because of the scale and scope that they have." 

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