European gov berates top official for sending threatening letter to Elon Musk ahead of Trump interview

The European Union rebuked a top official on Tuesday for sending a threatening and unauthorized letter to Elon Musk regarding free speech on X (formerly Twitter).

European Commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton sent a letter to Musk on Monday warning him that X needed to comply with the EU’s digital free speech and disinformation laws during Musk’s interview with former President Donald Trump. While the European Commission said Tuesday that it was still investigating X for potential digital law violations, it rejected Breton’s letter, saying that he was out of line and not given permission to send it to Musk, according to Britain’s Financial Times.

“The timing and the wording of the letter were neither co-ordinated or agreed with the president nor with the [commissioners],” the European Commission said, according to the Times.

As to why Breton would send the letter without receiving approval first, one European official told the Times that “Thierry has his own mind and way of working and thinking.”

Musk also responded sharply to Breton on Monday, sharing a meme with him that depicted a movie character shouting “Take a big step back and literally fuck your own face.”

Breton “[took] note” of Musk’s statement, a European official told the Times, but still wanted a more proper response. “We don’t have to comment or react whenever there is a tweet, whether it is a bonjour or a reference to a movie,” the official said.

Officials in Breton’s orbit said he thought it was a good time to send such a letter, given that Musk intended to interview Trump on the X the same day, according to the Times.

With great audience comes greater responsibility #DSA

As there is a risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in in connection with events with major audience around the world, I sent this letter to @elonmusk

⤵️ pic.twitter.com/P1IgxdPLzn

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) August 12, 2024

“As the relevant content is accessible to EU users and being amplified also in our jurisdiction, we cannot exclude potential spillovers in the EU,” Breton wrote in the letter. “Therefore, 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.”

Musk and the European Commission have been at odds for roughly a year over disagreements as to what kind of free speech laws should be maintained on X. The commission opened an investigation into X last December, citing allegations that the platform was failing to propagate illegal content and “disinformation,” as defined by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) that went into effect in August.

The investigation is “ongoing,” the European Commission added on Tuesday.

“We are looking into it, and of course, everything that happens on the platform feeds into this assessment,” the commission said.

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