EU warns Elon Musk ahead of Trump interview to keep hate speech off X

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Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute's Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel,on May 6, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Apu Gomes | Getty Images The European Commission on Monday warned X Corp. owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino that the company may face penalties and restrictions in Europe if it doesn't address the spread of illegal content, including incitements to violence and hate speech, on its social media platform. "I am writing to you in the context of recent events in the United Kingdom and in relation to the planned broadcast on your platform X of a live conversation between a US presidential candidate and yourself, which will also be accessible to users in the EU," Thierry Breton, European commissioner for the internal market, wrote in a letter that was posted Monday on X. "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," wrote Breton. "I therefore urge you to promptly ensure the effectiveness of your systems and to report measures taken to my team," he added. Thierry Breton, France's European Union commissioner for internal market and consumer protection, industry, research and energy. JOHN THYS Following receipt of the letter, Yaccarino called it "an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to political activities in the US." "It also patronizes European citizens, suggesting they are incapable of listening to a conversation and drawing their own conclusions," Yaccarino wrote on X. Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla , is set to host Donald Trump on Monday evening on Spaces, the streaming platform of X. Billed as an unscripted conversation by Musk, the Spaces session will be one of the few campaign events Trump does this week. The Republican former president is still trying to find his footing in a newly competitive race against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The commissioner reminded Musk of due diligence obligations set out in the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) — legislation requiring social networks and streaming media platforms to prevent the spread of hate speech and other harmful content on their platforms — amid an investigation of X into potential breaches of the law. Breton warned Musk that the EU was prepared to "make full use of our toolbox" to protect EU citizens from "serious harm." Given X Corp.'s reported 300 million users worldwide (of which one-third are based in the EU), X is "designated as a Very Large Online Platform" with a legal obligation to follow European laws and specifically the Digital Services Act, wrote Breton. Riots that have taken place in the U.K. in recent weeks were sparked by disinformation that spread on X and other social media platforms, falsely identifying the perpetrator of attacks on children attending a dance class in an English town as an asylum-seeker. Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle after disorder broke out on July 30, 2024 in Southport, England. Rumours about the identity of the 17-year-old suspect after deadly stabbing attack in Southport sparked a violent protest with unrest spreading across England and Northern Ireland. Getty Images | Getty Images News | Getty Images Since then, Musk has made a series of incendiary comments about the situation in the U.K. on X. At one point, he suggested the violence taking place on British streets could end up in a civil war, writing, "Civil war is inevitable." Musk's comments have been denounced by British officials. A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week there is "no justification" for such comments. Musk also shared an image of a fake headline that was made to look like it had come from "The Telegraph" newspaper's website, falsely claiming that the U.K. was building "detainment camps" on the Falkland Islands for rioters. He has since deleted the image, which had also been posted by the co-leader of the far-right Britain First party, Ashlea Simon. U.K. officials had already been critical of Musk even before disinformation over the stabbings occurred. In an interview published by the Times newspaper last week, the U.K.'s technology minister, Peter Kyle, said that Musk is "accountable to no one" and that dealing with platforms like his can be like negotiating with foreign governments "simply because of the scale and scope that they have." Riot police officers push back anti-migration protesters outside on Aug. 4, 2024 in Rotherham, U.K. Christopher Furlong | Getty Images