EU Commission Rebukes Thierry Breton Over Unapproved Letter to Elon Musk Before Trump Interview

Aug 13, 2024, 06:17 PM

Thierry Breton, the European Union's internal market commissioner, is facing backlash from the European Commission after sending an unapproved letter to Elon Musk. The letter, which threatened penalties if content on social media platform X was found to place EU citizens at risk of 'serious harm,' was sent without the approval of EU President Ursula von der Leyen. The European Commission has distanced itself from Breton's actions, stating that the timing and wording of the letter were neither coordinated nor agreed upon with the president. The letter invoked the Digital Services Act and was sent just hours before Elon Musk was scheduled to interview US presidential candidate Donald Trump on X, raising concerns about censorship and free speech.