The EU Commission has noted that a letter that was sent from Thierry Breton, the EU Internal Market Commissioner to Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform X was not green-lit by Ursula von der Leyen the commission’s president. 

Subsequently, the letter threatened Musk with legal action under the Digital Services Act (DSA) if content on X endangered EU citizens. It was published on the platform shortly before Musk’s interview with the US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

EU Commission Denies Pre-Warning on Trump Musk Interview

According to a Financial Times report, the EU Commission has denied giving any prior approval to Thierry Breton’s letter to Elon Musk. The letter, shared on X, addressed Musk to the platform’s adherence to the Digital Services Act, including the removal of content with adverse effects on EU citizens.

The Commission also said that neither the timing of the letter, nor its content was cleared with or by the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen or other commissioners.

BREAKING: EU accused its internal market commissioner of going rogue by sending a letter to Elon Musk threatening punishment hours before Elon interviewed US presidential candidate Donald Trump on X.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) August 13, 2024

One of the EU officials who wished to remain anonymous stated that Breton has been known to work autonomously at times, sometimes without the input of other top officials in the Commission. The timing of the letter, which came following Musk’s meeting with Donald Trump, was questioned within the Commission. The letter focused on Musk’s obligation to censor negative content on X because the platform has many users, and one-third of them are in the EU.

Investigation into X’s Compliance with DSA

As of now, the EU Commission is probing X for possible violation of the Digital Services Act, which was enacted in 2022 in response to increasing dependence on social media. This case is linked to the handling of the illegal content and the spreading of the disinformation which are the concerns that are emerging in the EU. The Commission has noted that X’s approach to addressing the issue of problematic content will be crucial in the further investigation.

In his letter, Breton provided specific examples of how content found on X was related to some recent protests and expressed concerns regarding the role of the platform in ensuring that freedom of speech does not lead to public threats. The letter also brought to mind that Musk has certain legal obligations under the DSA, with regards to the measures which need to be taken proportionately to address the issue of amplification of harmful content.

Nonetheless, if the platform is considered to have violated the Digital Services Act, it may be subject to severe sanctions, including fines of up to 6% of the company’s global turnover. Initial revelations of the probe have also accused X of not being clear on its marketing strategies and of deceiving its consumers through the paid subscription-based blue tick verification process.

Elon Musk’s X Probed in Austria and Pushes Antitrust Case

However,  the platform has also faced other legal challenges in Europe apart from the scrutiny of the EU commission. Recently, the Austrian privacy organisation NOYB complained against X to the Irish DPAs claiming that the platform uses personal data for AI training without valid consent from the users. The complaint filed by the privacy activist Max Schrems has led to X being investigated for possible breaches of data protection laws in Austria.

Concurrently, the platform is currently involved in an antitrust lawsuit against several big names and an advertising industry body, accusing them of conspiring to cause harm to the platform.

As reported by Coingape, X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino stated that the lawsuit is against companies such as CVS Health, Mars, and Unilever, all of which are accused of colluding to damage Elon Musk platform and other conservative media organisations.

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Kelvin Munene Murithi

Kelvin is a distinguished writer specializing in crypto and finance, backed by a Bachelor’s in Actuarial Science. Recognized for incisive analysis and insightful content, he has an adept command of English and excels at thorough research and timely delivery.

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