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X owner Elon Musk pushed back against a European Union official who warned him about compliance with the bloc\u2019s new Digital Services Act (DSA).<\/p>\n
Musk\u2019s borrowed a colorful phrase from Tom Cruise\u2019s foul-mouthed character in the 2008 comedy \u2018Tropic Thunder\u2019 for his response, which essentially amounted to \u2018go shove it\u2019 if you\u2019re being polite.<\/p>\n
While this scenario played out in Europe, it is worth noting the contrast in Musk\u2019s approach when dealing with another major global power\u2014China. <\/p>\n
Despite his usual outspokenness, Musk has consistently refrained from criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping or other high-ranking officials. <\/p>\n
This reticence is understandable given that approximately half of Tesla\u2019s electric vehicles are manufactured in China, and the social media platform X, owned by Musk, remains inaccessible in the country due to stringent censorship laws.<\/p>\n
\nTo be honest, I really wanted to respond with this Tropic Thunder meme, but I would NEVER do something so rude & irresponsible! https:\/\/t.co\/jL0GDW5QUx<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XhUxCSGFNP<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
How did this all start?<\/h2>\n
It started with a letter posted on Monday by EU Commissioner Thierry Breton warning Musk he was not complying with a duty to police harmful disinformation spread to EU citizens on his social media platform X.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under the DSA, platform owners are obligated to\u00a0remove illegal content<\/a>\u00a0as well as take concrete steps to mitigate against legal but harmful content such as disinformation or misinformation. <\/p>\n
Both Musk and Trump have previously produced and distributed\u00a0<\/a>such content, and combined, they pose a considerable problem for Brussels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The EU opened formal proceedings against X in December, with the Commission informing Musk\u2019s company last month of its\u00a0preliminary conclusion<\/a>\u00a0that it is, in fact, in breach of the legislation. (Meta and TikTok are also being investigated.)<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me clarify that any negative effect of illegal content on X in the EU [\u2026], may be relevant in the context of the ongoing proceedings,\u201d\u00a0posted<\/a>\u00a0Commissioner Thierry Breton.<\/p>\n
Letter not discussed with EU Commission president beforehand<\/h2>\n
But the timing of the letter and the heavy-handed nature of Breton\u2019s warning, which referenced Musk\u2019s interview<\/a> with Donald Trump, prompted the search term\u00a0The EU<\/em>\u00a0to trend on X in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The platform\u2019s CEO,\u00a0Linda Yaccarino<\/a>, swiftly condemned Breton\u2019s letter as an intervention into America\u2019s internal affairs. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an unprecedented attempt to stretch a law intended to apply in Europe to pollical activities in the U.S,\u201d she\u00a0wrote<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Musk on the other hand abandoned etiquette entirely in his reply. Writing to Breton, responsible for industrial policy in President Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s\u00a0outgoing first administration<\/a>, the X owner advised the Frenchman to engage in sexual acts with himself in an unorthodox manner.<\/p>\n
In a media briefing on Tuesday, the Commission declined repeatedly to comment on Musk insulting one of its top officials in such a vulgar manner. <\/p>\n
Yet it did reveal, when asked, that both the timing and the wording of the letter had not been coordinated with von der Leyen, or indeed with any other of Breton\u2019s peers.<\/p>\n
It also forced a spokeswoman for the Commission to clarify that the letter was not meant to censor Musk\u2019s interview with Trump, an avowed opponent of the EU<\/a>. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea behind the DSA is to replicate [the same legal practices] online what we have offline, so what is illegal offline has to be represented online,\u201d the spokeswoman said. \u201cIn no way did the letter want to interfere with the U.S. elections.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also added the DSA only enforces online platforms\u2019 obligation to prevent the dissemination of illegal content in the EU proper, not in foreign jurisdictions such as the United States. <\/p>\n
Musk helped stoke recent race riots in the UK<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s one thing for Musk to deliberately and explicitly tell advertisers leaving his social media platform to \u201cgo f\u2014 yourself<\/a>\u201d (only to turn around and\u00a0sue them<\/a>\u00a0when they did). <\/p>\n
It\u2019s another thing entirely to tell the executive branch of the European Union to do the same.<\/p>\n
The EU is by no means without critics: the UK even left the bloc in February 2020, preferring deeper ties with the United States and Asia. <\/p>\n
Eurosceptic and far-right sovereigntist parties also picked up more seats<\/a> in the\u00a0EU Parliament elections<\/a>\u00a0held in June.<\/p>\n
But the creation of the Single Market has ensured that Europe continues to have a seat at the table when major powers negotiate global trade and economic policies. Unlike post-Brexit UK, it remains a rule maker, not a rule taker.<\/p>\n
Critics like to argue that because Europe\u2019s bureaucratic culture cannot innovate, it is forced to regulate, with the DSA being a prime example. <\/p>\n
It is designed to provide guardrails that prevent online platforms from spreading disinformation at the speed of light to tens, if not hundreds, of millions of people across the EU.<\/p>\n
This happened on a smaller scale recently in the UK, where the tragic murder of three young girls in the working-class community of Southport was falsely pinned on a\u00a0fictitious illegal Arab migrant<\/a>, sparking widespread race riots that targeted Muslims.<\/p>\n
While X was only one of the various platforms used to disseminate incitement to violence, only Musk gave his own\u00a0personal stamp of approval<\/a>. <\/p>\n
He predicted the UK would collapse in civil war, accused the government of policing white communities and boosted\u00a0white nationalist<\/a>\u00a0and far-right agitators like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, aka \u201cTommy Robinson\u201d.<\/p>\n
\nEU sends warning letter to Musk ahead of Trump interview. How stupid are these regulators \u2066@elonmusk<\/a>\u2069 ? Love your standing up to them. https:\/\/t.co\/kXjVfDHywk<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) August 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Now Musk threatens to do the same in Europe, a continent that twice engulfed the world in war over ethnic and racial hatred. <\/p>\n
Brussels drafted the DSA to create a level playing field in which online platforms can compete while at the same time\u00a0handing them the responsibility to moderate content on their sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe DSA is a cornerstone of the EU digital strategy and sets out an unprecedented new standard for the accountability of online platforms,\u201d the Commission spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless many, including Silicon Valley venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, still view it as governmental overreach. \u201cHow stupid are these regulators?\u201d the 69-year-old Trump critic posted to Musk. \u201cLove your standing up to them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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