Elon Musk assures European Union that Twitter will abide by Europe's content moderation laws
Musk previously said Europe's digital platform regulation plans 'exactly aligned' with his thinking
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Twitter will abide by the European Union's rules on illegal online content policing, an EU source confirmed to FOX Business. The confirmation comes after Twitter owner Elon Musk told the EU's commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, that he plans to follow the Commission's rules.
According to Reuters, Musk told Breton in a previously unreported exchange last week that he planned to comply with the region's Digital Services Act. The EU can fine companies up to 6% of their sales if they do not control illegal content.
SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles, Calif., June 13, 2019.
European Commissioner for Internal Market, French Thierry Breton, arrives for an informal meeting of European Union countries' Defence Ministers, as France currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency, in Brest, western France, Jan. 13, 2022.
Twitter logo on a sign at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2022.
The self-described free speech absolutist has agreed to hold a meeting with Breton in the coming weeks, the source added. Representatives for Musk did not immediately return FOX Business' request for comment.
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The move comes after the world's richest man officially closed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter on Thursday. After the $54.20 per share buyout was finalized, Musk tweeted "the bird is freed."
Breton responded to the tweet on Friday, writing: "In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules." He also shared a video of a meeting with Musk in May, in which the Tesla chief executive said Europe's plans for digital platform regulation were "exactly aligned" with his thinking.
"I really think I agree with everything you said really," Musk added at the time. "I think we’re very much of the same mind and, you know, I think just anything that my companies can do that would be beneficial to Europe, we want to do that."
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Musk said Friday that Twitter will form a content moderation council with "wildly diverse viewpoints."
"No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes," Musk added.
In addition to efforts on content moderation, Musk has dissolved Twitter's board, fired top executives and said he would revamp the platform's verification process.
Twitter stock was suspended from trading on Friday and will delist from the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 8.