Elon Musk clashed with the EU ahead of a planned interview with Donald Trump on X, as a war of words erupted between Brussels and the tech billionaire’s social media platform over content related to the US election.FT details that Musk was warned by Thierry Breton, the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, about the dissemination of content promoting “hatred, disorder, incitement to violence, or certain instances of disinformation.”
Breton’s letter, specifically addressing Musk, reminded him of the “due diligence obligations” under the EU’s Digital Services Act, aimed at policing online hate speech and disinformation. This letter came just hours before Trump’s interview on X, a platform that had previously banned him.
Musk, who has declared himself a “free-speech absolutist,” responded with a meme from the movie Tropic Thunder. Meanwhile, X CEO Linda Yaccarino criticized the EU’s intervention as an overreach, calling it an “unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US.” Trump’s campaign spokesperson accused the EU of meddling in the US presidential election and labeled it an “enemy of free speech.”
Musk, who recently endorsed Trump’s re-election bid, has reinstated Trump’s account on X and loosened the platform’s moderation policies. Trump’s reappearance on X, where he has 88 million followers, marks a significant moment in his campaign as the race for the White House tightens, with recent posts gaining substantial traction.
For full details, please refer to the Financial Times article.