BRUSSELS- The European Union’s internal market chief said on Tuesday that Elon Musk could adapt Twitter TWTR.N as he wishes after he acquires the social media site but warned the billionaire that the bloc has strict rules for online platforms to tackle illegal content.
“It will be up to Twitter to adapt themselves … to our rules,” Thierry Breton told Reuters and one other media outlet on the deal sealed on Monday by Tesla’s chief executive to buy Twitter for $44 billion.
“I think Elon Musk knows Europe very well. He knows very well that we have some rules for the automotive industry … and he understands that. So in Europe, in order to protect freedom of speech and to protect individuals, any companies will have to fulfill this obligation.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, calls himself a free speech absolutist and has criticized Twitter’s moderation of a hugely influential platform that is populated by millions of users and global leaders.
The EU has rules under which content forbidden offline is also forbidden online, Breton said.
Under a Digital Services Act (DSA) agreed by the EU’s 27 member states and lawmakers last week, Alphabet unit Google, Meta and other large online platforms will risk hefty fines if they do not control illegal content.
