The European Union official who confronted Elon Musk about his interview with former President Donald Trump and drew accusations of election interference didn’t have permission to send the letter.
European Union Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton warned Musk that he and his platform could be punished if the X owner’s conversation with Trump ventured into territory the EU deemed hateful or misleading. The European Commission distanced itself from the letter on Tuesday, denying Breton received permission from its leader, President Ursula von der Leyen, to send the letter.
“The timing and the wording of the letter were neither co-ordinated or agreed with the president nor with the [commissioners],” the commission said in a statement, according to the Financial Times.
Breton wrote the letter warning Musk and X that they could face repercussions if they did not fall in line with the legal obligations laid out in the Digital Services Act. The act was passed in 2022 and was created to curb the spread of disinformation and illegal content on social media platforms.
Those close to Breton said he wrote the letter ahead of time, but he decided to release it ahead of Musk’s interview with Trump.
In his letter, Breton outlined how crucial it is for X to regulate disinformation and illegal content because failure to do so could “generate detrimental effects on civic discourse and public security.”
While Breton is in charge of overseeing the enforcement of the Digital Services Act and can communicate independently with companies, the expectation is that Breton coordinates with the rest of the EU, especially when making a public statement.
Breton had threatened in his letter that how X approaches its handlings of disinformation and illegal content may be incorporated into proceedings against the social media company.
In July, the EU found X to be in violation of the DSA for a failure of transparency in advertising and also for allowing blue checkmarks, meant to indicate verified users, to be purchased because it can “deceive users.”
“The [investigation] on dissemination of illegal content and information manipulation is ongoing, we are looking into it, and of course everything that happens on the platform feeds into this assessment,” the EU said.
Trump campaign officials blasted the letter when it was circulated on Monday, suggesting it amounted to foreign interference in U.S. elections.
“The European Union should mind their own business instead of trying to meddle in the U.S. Presidential election,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X. “Only in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ America can an un-Democratic foreign organization feel emboldened enough to tell this country what to do. They know that a President Trump victory means America will no longer be ripped off because he will smartly utilize tariffs and renegotiated trade deals that puts America First.”
In response to Breton’s letter, Musk posted a meme from Tropic Thunder with a caption saying, “Take a big step back and literally f*** your own face.”
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“To be honest, I really wanted to respond with this Tropic Thunder meme, but I would NEVER do something so rude & irresponsible!” Musk tweeted.
The spread of disinformation has been a rising concern in the EU as it has been linked to recent anti-immigrant riots that have plagued London following the stabbing deaths of three girls.
