Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Elon Musk announced last week that he’ll be hosting an interview with presidential candidate Donald Trump on his social media platform, X, this evening. The upcoming interview has drawn the attention of the European Union, which sent a letter to Elon Musk, urging him to comply with EU laws in combating the spread of disinformation or face penalties in the region.
EU commissioner Thierry Breton penned a letter to Elon Musk, which he published on X this afternoon. “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,” the letter reads. Donald Trump was suspended from multiple online platforms, including X (then known as Twitter), in 2021 for inciting violence at the Capitol on January 6.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino responded to the letter in a post, calling it “an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US.” She went on to say that the letter “patronizes EU citizens.”
Breton neglected to share what specific actions the EU will take if Musk and X do not abide by the letter but wrote that the group will “make full use of our toolbox” to protect its citizens. We’ll be sure to provide updates on the situation here.