By Ahmet Gencturk
ATHENS (AA) – The European Union warned X’s owner Elon Musk on Monday of his obligation to abide by the bloc’s laws, particularly over content that could incite racism or violence, on the eve of his scheduled interview with former US President Donald Trump.
“As the individual entity ultimately controlling a platform with over 300 million users worldwide, of which one third in the EU, that has been designated as a Very Large Online Platform, you have the legal obligation to ensure X's compliance with EU law and in particular the DSA (Digital Services Act) in the EU,” said EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton in an open letter addressed to Musk.
“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,” he added.
“I therefore urge you to promptly ensure the effectiveness of your systems and to report measures taken to my team.”
Trump earlier Monday ended his nearly year-long absence from X amid sagging poll numbers following Vice President Kamala Harris' formal nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee.
The former president used his first post since Aug. 24, 2023, to disseminate a campaign video ahead of what is being described as a "live conversation" with X CEO Elon Musk scheduled for 8 pm Eastern Time (0000GMT).
"This is unscripted with no limits on subject matter, so should be highly entertaining! If you have specific questions & comments, post them under the chat," Musk, who has recently come out with his full-throated endorsement of Trump, posted on X.