A former EU leader in the technology sector alleges that the EU attempted to prevent the owner of Company X from meeting with the co-leader of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party, branding Elon Musk as “outrageous.” He accused, “You’re lying.”
Thierry Breton, who spearheaded the passing of ambitious legislation to regulate big tech and stepped down as European commissioner in September, claimed that the EU was striving to censor Musk’s scheduled meeting with Alice Weidel. He asserted that it was deceitful to suggest otherwise.
The US billionaire asserted on his social media platforms: “First, the EU tried to hinder my online conversation with President @realDonaldTrump. Now they are trying to block people from hearing my discussion with Alice Weidel, a potential future German chancellor. It appears that these individuals truly detest democracy.”
His tweet referred to a letter Breton sent to Musk prior to a similar discussion with Donald Trump in August. In the letter, Breton reminded Musk of his responsibilities under the Digital Services Act (DSA) not to enable the “amplification of harmful content.”
Following Musk’s announcement of his intention to interview Weidel, whose party holds a 19% approval rating and is anti-immigration, Breton issued a similar caution to Weidel via a social media post. “I reached out to him, but it appears to have been a stunt.” This led to accusations against Musk on Wednesday.
In an interview with the Guardian, Breton stated: “[Musk] is trying to portray the EU as stifling conversations. We are distorting information here.”
When asked if Musk could be lying, Breton responded: “No one attempted to prevent him from speaking to Trump, or to Germany.”
The Frenchman mentioned that he has always had a positive and constructive relationship with Musk in person.
X did not provide any comments. Musk recently criticized Breton as “annoying,” and in August referenced a quote from the satirical film Tropic Thunder, telling the then-commissioner to “take a big step back and literally defecate on himself.”
The dispute is the latest in a series instigated by Musk in recent weeks, including hostile remarks towards British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, provoking outrage across Europe.
Breton called on leaders to denounce the propagation of misinformation and hatred. “Leadership is crucial, especially in these times. Europe can only thrive with strong leadership.”
X is currently under investigation by the European Commission under the DSA, partly initiated by Breton. The company mentioned that it is “collaborating with the regulatory process” and is committed to creating a safe and inclusive platform for all users while safeguarding freedom of expression.
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Insiders indicated that the verdict was expected in the fall of 2023, but X needed time to prepare a legal defense. Some anticipated that conclusions would be disclosed soon.
Breton declined to address the investigation but emphasized that the DSA is not intended to silence critics or curb the freedom of speech cherished by all European democracies. He reiterated that such a notion does not exist.
“Freedom of speech is of utmost importance in Europe, vital for democracy across all member states, and non-negotiable for the Court of Justice,” he affirmed.
However, he emphasized that it operates within a legal framework that also prohibits anti-Semitic remarks, racist hate speech, and terrorism apologists, which tech companies must be cautious of.
“These are forbidden by law in physical spaces, on streets, in media, and now in the digital realm,” he stated, pointing out that social media companies, unlike traditional media, wield immense power to disseminate content to audiences and must acknowledge the responsibility that comes with it.
Source: www.theguardian.com
