Europe issues warning to Elon Musk ahead of live interview with Donald Trump on X
Hours before his live interview with former US president Donald Trump, Elon Musk was reminded of his moderation responsibilities as the owner of the social media platform X. The European Commission cautioned Musk that his obligations are to prevent "the spread of dangerous content".
In an email shared by Musk on X, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton referred to the new Digital Services Act (DSA). He said that the moderation rules apply to all users of X, "including yourself".
Musk is set to hold a live interview with Trump on Monday evening in the US. During this US election campaign, Musk has openly supported the Republican presidential candidate. The interview will also be accessible to audiences in the EU.
"We will not hesitate to use the means at our disposal"
"My services and I will be very vigilant for breaches of the DSA legislation. We will not hesitate to use the means at our disposal, such as taking temporary measures to protect European citizens from serious harm," Breton said.
The DSA mandates that all platforms must be able to flag problematic content, such as incitement to violence, hatred or racism. Illegal content must also be removed or made inaccessible as soon as the platform becomes aware of it. After Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, he conducted a massive round of layoffs in the teams responsible for moderating the social network.
Breton's warning came in the wake of riots in the UK, about which Musk said that "a civil war is inevitable", attributing the violence to "mass migration and open borders".
Europe opened an investigation into X in December on suspicion that it was failing to meet its obligations in the fight against disinformation.
© PHOTO CHRIS DELMAS / AFP
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