The House Judiciary Committee has called out European Union's Thierry Breton for trying to "intimidate" Elon Musk's X.
What Happened: The House Judiciary Committee has condemned the European Union’s actions, threatening to investigate their attempts to infringe on free speech.
On Thursday, Committee Chair Jim Jordan sent a letter to EU Commissioner Breton, accusing him of trying to “weaponize” the law against Musk. This follows Breton’s open letter to X, warning Musk against amplifying “hateful content” before a broadcast with former President Donald Trump.
The letter cited EU legislation from 2022 that holds social media platform owners liable for fines if they amplify content promoting hatred, disorder, or disinformation. Jordan claimed Breton was targeting conservatives like Musk and Trump.
"In light of your recent threats of reprisal toward X Corp., an American company, for facilitating political discourse in the US, we write to demand that you stop any attempt to intimidate individuals or entities engaged in political speech in the United States," Jordan wrote.
"Freedom is coming!" quipped the official House Judiciary Committee account on X.
Breton’s letter was not authorized by the European Commission, which distanced itself from his comments. Musk responded sarcastically on X, while the Trump campaign accused the EU of meddling in US politics.
Jordan also subpoenaed the State Department to investigate the Administration’s communication with the EU on this issue, criticizing the Biden-Harris Administration for their silence on the matter.
Why It Matters: The controversy began when Breton sent a cautionary letter to Musk, urging him to avoid promoting “harmful content” during an upcoming Trump interview.
Breton emphasized that Musk’s platform, X, falls under the jurisdiction of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates illegal content and misinformation on major social media platforms.
In July, the EU had already issued a formal warning to X for failing to control harmful content. This warning was part of a broader regulatory effort targeting major tech firms, with potential fines of up to 6% of X’s revenue.
Additionally, in October, Breton had asked Musk to combat misinformation on X amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Breton expressed concerns about the misuse of X to spread illegal content and misinformation within the EU.
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