The European Commission issued a stern warning On Monday, X Corp. owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino warned that the social media platform could face significant sanctions and restrictions in Europe if it does not crack down on the spread of illegal content. including incitement to violence and hate speech.
Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, addressed his concerns in a letter published in X, particularly in light of recent events in the UK. Breton's letter also referred to the planned broadcast of a live conversation between Musk and a candidate for the presidency of the United States, Donald Trump, which would be accessible to users in the European Union.
With a large audience comes greater responsibility #DSA
As there is a risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in 🇪🇺 in connection with events with a significant worldwide audience, I have sent this letter to @elonmusk
📧⤵️ pic.twitter.com/P1IgxdPLzn
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) August 12, 2024
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Breton highlighted the risks associated with broadcasting content that could incite violence, hatred and racism, especially during major political or social events. He urged Musk and Yaccarino to ensure the effectiveness of their systems and to report on measures taken to address these issues.
Yaccarino responded to the letter by calling it an “unprecedented attempt to stretch a law meant to apply in Europe to political activities in the US.” after listening to a conversation.
This is an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law meant to apply in Europe to political activities in the US. It also patronizes European citizens, suggesting that they are incapable of listening to a conversation and drawing their own conclusions. https://t.co/RmxL4VFuvV
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) August 12, 2024
Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, plans to host former President Donald Trump on X's streaming platform, Spaces. This unscripted conversation is one of the few campaign events Trump is participating in this week as he faces off against Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.
Breton reminded Musk of the obligations outlined in the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media and streaming platforms to prevent the spread of hate speech and other harmful content. The EU is currently investigating X for possible breaches of this law, with Breton warning that the EU is ready to “make the most of our toolbox” to protect European citizens from “serious harm”.
With around 300 million users worldwide, a third of which are in the EU, X is classified as a “Very Large Online Platform” and is legally required to comply with European laws, including DSA. The recent unrest in the UK, fueled by misinformation spread on X, has put the platform under greater scrutiny. The false identification of an asylum seeker as the perpetrator of attacks on children in an English town was one such example of misinformation leading to violence.
Musk's subsequent comments on the situation in the UK, including a tweet suggesting civil war was inevitable, were met with condemnation by British officials. The Prime Minister's spokesman Keir Starmer claimed there was “no justification” for the remarks.
The European Commission's investigation into whether X is in breach of the DSA is ongoing. Breton stressed that the EU cannot rule out possible spillovers of illegal content from other jurisdictions into the EU. The Commission has the authority to impose fines of up to 6% of a company's global annual revenue for violations of the DSA, as well as to enforce interim measures such as changes to content recommendation systems or greater monitoring of specific keywords.
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