EU threatens Twitter over freedom of speech

Thierry Breton has warned the platform's new owner that he will have to “fly by our rules” in Europe

Elon Musk’s celebratory tweet upon completing his $44 billion takeover of Twitter has apparently struck a nerve with a top EU official, who warned the billionaire that, at least in Europe, speech won’t be completely free on the social media platform.

The exchange between Musk and Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for the internal market, began on Thursday night, after the billionaire closed on his controversial acquisition of Twitter. Musk posted a tweet saying, “The bird is freed,” apparently alluding to the company’s mascot and his plans to make the platform a bastion of free speech. Breton replied a few hours later, saying, “In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules.”

The EU’s Digital Services Act, which was approved earlier this year, will require major social media platforms to have strong content moderation systems that can quickly censor such material as “hate speech,” incitement to terrorism, and information that the bloc’s bureaucrats deem to be false. When the new law goes into effect in 2024, fines for violations will range as high as 6% of the company’s annual revenue, which is equivalent to more than $300 million in Twitter’s case.