The European Union on Monday sent a warning letter to billionaire tech tycoon and X owner Elon Musk, reiterating EU rules banning the promotion of “harmful content”, ahead of his interview with former President Trump on the social platform.
“With a large audience comes greater responsibility,” Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, said in a post on X. “I sent this letter to Elon Musk due to the risk of the spread of potentially harmful content in the context of events with large audiences around the world.”
The letter reminded Musk that X is subject to the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), a relatively new EU law that regulates illegal content and disinformation on major social media platforms.
Breton noted that this includes ensuring that X takes measures to prevent “the amplification of harmful content in relation to associated events, including livestreaming,” which “if left unaddressed, could increase X’s risk profile and have a negative impact on civil debate and public safety.”
“We want to be clear that any adverse effects on X from unlawful content in the EU may be relevant in the context of ongoing litigation and the overall assessment of X’s compliance with EU law,” the Commissioner added.
He gave the example of the recent riots in the UK, where a spokesperson recently said X’s response to the riots could impact an ongoing investigation into the company’s compliance with the DSA. According to Reuters.
The warning comes ahead of a planned interview between Musk and Trump on Monday night. Musk, who endorsed Trump for reelection last month, said the “live conversation” will be “unscripted, with no topic restrictions.”
X CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to the letter in a post on the platform, calling it an “unprecedented attempt to stretch European law to cover US political activity.”
“It also shows contempt for European citizens and suggests they are incapable of listening to the conversation and drawing their own conclusions,” she added.
The mask itself Reacted with a meme The quote was from the movie “Tropic Thunder,” with the explicit phrase written in block letters over a scene from the movie.
“Honestly, I wanted to respond with this Tropic Thunder meme but I would never be so rude and irresponsible!” he wrote to X.
The Trump campaign also slammed the EU over the European Commission’s warning letter on Monday, saying the EU “should focus on its own interests instead of trying to interfere in a US presidential election.”
“Only in the America of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can an undemocratic foreign entity be emboldened enough to tell this country what to do,” said Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chung. In a statement.
“They know that if President Trump wins, he will use tariffs to renegotiate trade deals that put America first so America won’t be fooled again,” he continued. “Let me be clear: the European Union is an enemy of free speech and has no power whatsoever to dictate how we run our election campaigns.”
Updated 5:28 p.m.
