Breton argued in the letter that, despite the interview taking place outside the EU, whatever was said during the live event could impact the EU public order and therefore fall under the DSA.
The European Commission will not comment further on insults by X owner Elon Musk against Commissioner Thierry Breton, a spokesperson for the EU institution said Tuesday.
Breton warned Musk on Monday to comply with legal obligations under the EU’s digital rulebook hours – including proportionate and effective mitigation measures regarding the amplification of harmful content – before the billionaire interviewed US Republican candidate Donald Trump live on his platform.
In response to Breton’s tweet Musk replied, citing a quip from the US satirical film Tropic Thunder, inviting the Commissioner “to take a step back and literally, fuck your own face.”
When asked how that might impact the Commission’s relationship with X, which is already under investigation for compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a spokesperson for the EU executive said that the institution “does not comment on comments”.
The Commission began a probe into X under the DSA over the handling of disinformation on the social media platform last December.
In preliminary findings published last month, the Commission said that blue checkmarks used on the platform are deceptive. In response, Musk accused the EU of offering a secret deal to demand compliance. Breton denied the existence of any such deal.
When asked if Breton coordinated his letter within the Commission, the spokesperson said today that “the commissioner represented a general concern” for the rules that the Very Large Online Platforms under the DSA have to agree with, but “the timing and wording were not coordinated with the president and not with the College.”
“The letter was of a general nature, and the Trump interview was an example of a large event that can have a spillover in the EU,” the spokesperson added.
Breton argued in the letter that, despite the interview taking place outside the EU, whatever was said during the live event could impact the EU public order and therefore fall under the DSA.
In a similar move, the EU executive said last week that X’s response to the incidents after the Southport attack in the UK could be taken into account in the DSA probe as well.
X was first used as a tool to spread misinformation about the stabbing and consequent violence and later became a channel for Musk to criticise the prime minister and amplify rhetoric that has led to more attacks.
