The EU’s new tech tsar has struck a conciliatory tone towards Elon Musk as Brussels seeks to repair relations with the US billionaire after a public spat filled with expletives.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice-president in charge of digital policy who took office earlier this month, told the Financial Times that she would not single out any Big Tech company accused of breaching EU rules.
“This is not personal. This is about online platforms and they will have equal treatment because everybody has to follow our rules.”
Her comments contrast those of her predecessor, Thierry Breton, who had publicly threatened Musk with the “full use” of sanctions against his platform, X, for amplifying “harmful content” in the EU.
In response, Musk posted a meme telling the EU official to “take a big step back and literally, fuck your own face!”
To 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 pic.twitter.com/XhUxCSGFNP
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2024
Musk, who was nominated by president-elect Donald Trump to run a government cost-cutting unit in the next US administration, had fired many of the content moderators needed to police content after he bought the company formerly known as Twitter.
Last year the commission opened an investigation into X over concerns of the spread of hateful messages and deepfakes after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.
The social media company has defended its practices when it comes to policing content, telling the EU regulator last month that its “existing controls bring down the level of risk in most areas”.
In a separate probe, Brussels earlier this year issued formal charges against X for allegedly engaging in deceptive practices, including offering users to buy their “blue tick” status which had previously certified their identity at no cost.
“Since anyone can subscribe to obtain such a ‘verified’ status, it negatively affects users’ ability to make free and informed decisions about the authenticity of the accounts and the content they interact with,” the commission said.
Companies found in breach of EU digital rules face penalties of up to 6 per cent of their global annual turnover and repeat offenders risk being banned in the bloc.
“I want to make sure that everybody is respecting our rules,” Virkkunen stressed.
X is not the only platform in Brussels’ crosshairs. Virkkunen said the commission was also asking for more information from TikTok over being part of alleged Russian interference in the Romanian elections.
Bucharest last week lodged a complaint with the commission following the surprise win of a far-right, Putin-friendly candidate in the first round of its presidential election. Romanian authorities have accused TikTok of allowing a Russian-sponsored network of users to spread Calin Georgescu’s videos without flagging that they were campaign ads.
The commission ordered the Chinese platform to save all relevant content for potential future investigations.
The order marks the first time the European Commission is using new powers granted under the landmark Digital Services Act, which forces large online platforms to police their platforms more aggressively over illegal content.
“In Romania, all the information we are having is very, very alarming,” Virkkunen said. “We have to take care with the online platforms that they are not misused during the elections.”
The warning comes after Romanian authorities said Russia used similar methods in Moldova’s presidential election and EU referendum last month. Germany’s intelligence service has also warned of potential Russian meddling in its snap election due in February.
