Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla Motors, is catching heat from the European Commission. They’re demanding that he censor Donald Trump during an interview set to stream tonight on X, the social platform he owns formerly known as Twitter.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, has fired off a letter to Elon and X CEO Linda Yaccarino. The message? Clean up your platform, or face the consequences in Europe.
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Breton isn’t messing around. He warned that if Elon doesn’t clamp down on illegal content like hate speech and incitement to violence, X Corp. could be slapped with penalties or even restrictions in the EU. His exact words were:
“We are monitoring the potential risks in the EU associated with the dissemination of content that may incite violence, hate, and racism.”
Breton wrote, referencing tonight’s planned interview with Trump. He demanded that Elon take swift action to ensure the platform’s systems are up to snuff and report back on what measures are being taken.
Yaccarino pushes back against EU pressure
Linda Yaccarino was quick with her response to the EU’s demands. She blasted the letter as an overreach, calling it “an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US.”
Yaccarino also took a shot at the EU for what she sees as condescending behavior. She said:
“It also patronizes European citizens, suggesting they are incapable of listening to a conversation and drawing their own conclusions.”
This all comes as Elon prepares to host Donald Trump in an unscripted chat on Spaces.
For Trump, it’s one of the few campaign events he’s got lined up this week as he tries to regain his footing in a tough race against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The EU is backing up their demands with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a piece of legislation that puts the squeeze on social networks and streaming platforms to crack down on harmful content.
Breton has made it clear that the EU is ready to use every tool at its disposal to protect its citizens from what he called “serious harm.”
With X boasting around 300 million users globally, a third of whom are in the EU, the platform is classified as a “Very Large Online Platform” under EU law. This designation means X has a legal obligation to follow European laws, particularly the DSA.
As the clock ticks down to tonight’s interview, all eyes are on Elon and how he’ll respond to the EU’s demands. Will he comply and censor Trump, or will he push back and risk penalties in one of the world’s largest markets?
