EU Warns Elon Musk to Clamp Down on Harmful Content on X

The European Union has issued a stern warning to Elon Musk, urging him to curb the spread of harmful content on his social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter). This comes just hours before Musk is set to interview former U.S. President Donald Trump live on the platform.

According to a letter posted on X, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton reminded Musk of his legal obligations under the bloc’s Digital Services Act. The act mandates that digital platforms actively police and remove illegal content and disinformation to protect users. Breton emphasized that these obligations apply universally across the platform, including to Musk himself, who has over 190 million followers.

Breton wrote, “With great audience comes greater responsibility,” underscoring the risks associated with the amplification of potentially harmful content within the EU. He specifically cited Musk’s upcoming interview with Trump and recent inflammatory comments regarding far-right riots in the United Kingdom as examples of content that could incite violence, hate, and racism.

The EU is closely monitoring the situation and warned that it would not hesitate to take action if X is found to be in violation of the DSA. Breton wrote, “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. My services and I will be extremely vigilant to any evidence that points to breaches of the DSA and will not hesitate to make full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect EU citizens from serious harm.”

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has been accused of transforming X into a platform for right-wing conspiracy theories. A new analysis from the Center for Countering Digital Hate revealed that Musk’s false or misleading claims about the U.S. elections have garnered nearly 1.2 billion views on X.

The EU’s warning to Musk comes amid concerns over the spread of harmful content on social media platforms. The bloc’s Digital Services Act aims to ensure that digital platforms take responsibility for the content they host and remove illegal and harmful content from their platforms.