The EU’s high digital official wrote to Elon Musk Monday to remind him of his authorized responsibility to cease “harmful content” from spreading on X, hours earlier than the tech billionaire interviews Donald Trump reside on the platform.
“With great audience comes greater responsibility,” the bloc’s inside market commissioner Thierry Breton posted on X, together with the letter laying out Musk’s obligations to fight unlawful content material and disinformation underneath EU legislation.
The European Union has an ongoing probe into X, previously Twitter, underneath its landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) which requires digital companies to successfully police on-line content material to guard customers from hurt.
“The DSA obligations apply without exceptions or discrimination to the moderation of the whole user community and content of X (including yourself as a user with over 190 million followers),” Breton wrote to Musk.
Breton mentioned the warning was motivated by the “risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in the EU,” citing Musk’s upcoming Trump interview, and in addition referencing his latest inflammatory feedback about far-right riots within the United Kingdom.
“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,” he wrote.
“My services and I will be extremely vigilant to any evidence that points to breaches of the DSA and will not hesitate to make full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect EU citizens from serious harm,” Breton wrote.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk has emerged as a serious voice in US politics however is accused of turning the platform previously generally known as Twitter right into a megaphone for right-wing conspiracy theories since buying it in 2022.
New evaluation from the Center for Countering Digital Hate reveals Musk’s false or deceptive claims in regards to the US elections have been seen almost 1.2 billion instances on X — which has round 300 million every day customers, a 3rd of them within the EU.
– Sweeping legal guidelines –
EU regulators’ wide-ranging probe into X is wanting into the effectiveness of the platform’s efforts to fight disinformation — following main cuts to content material moderation sources underneath Musk’s management.
Breton travelled to California in spring final 12 months to fulfill tech leaders together with Musk and stress their obligations underneath the sweeping new DSA and its sister legislation, the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Back then, Musk pledged to work to adjust to the brand new legal guidelines — however the tone has since soured, with the billionaire accusing Brussels of regulatory overreach.
Musk lashed out at Brussels final month, accusing the European Commission of providing X a “secret deal” to censor speech — and vowing to go courtroom over the matter.
Breton rejected the notion of such a deal, telling Musk: “Up to you to decide whether to offer commitments or not… See you (in court or not).”
Source: www.anews.com.tr