Elon Musk is set to host Donald Trump in a live-streamed conversation on his X platform, sparking concerns from the EU’s internal market chief Thierry Breton. Breton has urged Musk to comply with legal obligations under the EU’s digital rulebook to ensure the mitigation of harmful content amplification during live streams. Failure to do so could have detrimental effects on civic discourse and public security, according to Breton.
The conversation between Musk and Trump is scheduled to take place on Trump’s X channel at 08.00 ET on Monday. The Republican candidate recently returned to X after Musk acquired the platform. However, tensions have arisen between Musk and the EU since his takeover, with Musk suing the European Commission in July over allegations of breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Breton’s recent correspondence with Musk suggests heightened concern in Brussels regarding X’s role in spreading content that could incite violence or public disorder. Breton specifically mentioned X’s role in recent unrest in the UK, which Musk has been accused of stoking. Despite the UK being outside the EU’s regulatory orbit, the EU executive is wary of potential overspill of such content to EU audiences.
With X having around 300 million users worldwide, including a third in the EU, the EU is closely monitoring the platform for any breaches of the DSA. Breton warned that the EU will take action, including adopting interim measures, to protect EU citizens from harm caused by harmful content on X. The conversation between Musk and Trump has put a spotlight on the responsibilities of platform owners in ensuring the safety and security of online discourse.
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