EU Commissioner Breton threatens to shut down Twitter

“In the EU, the bird must fly according to our European rules,” writes EU Commissioner Thierry Breton in response to a tweet from Elon Musk on Twitter. According to the statement, Twitter would have to abide by the rules or face fines or even a Twitter shutdown in the EU.

EU Commissioner Breton Threatens Twitter Shutdown

In light of the Digital Service Act (DSA), the EU is ramping up the pressure on short messaging service Twitter, which since the acquisition by Elon Musk has repeatedly drawn attention to itself – and rarely in a positive way. Well… never positively, actually.

Twitter must abide by the laws here in Europe, otherwise it will face consequences, said EU Commissioner Thierry Breton via Twitter. As the Tagesschau further reports, the short message service is threatened with substantial fines and, in the most extreme case, even a complete Twitter shutdown within the EU if it fails to comply.

At the same time, Breton cautions that the possibilities would really be put into action if it becomes necessary: “We are following very closely what is happening on Twitter since the takeover by Elon Musk,” the EU commissioner said. Over Christmas, there will be another meeting between him and Musk, he further reveals.

The focus will be primarily on possible violations of applicable EU laws related to hate speech and incitement. Elon Musk had justified the Twitter takeover, among other things, to relax the restriction of freedom of speech on the short message service again.

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Twitter and the Digital Service Act

Among other things, the DSA is designed to ensure that platforms on the web remove illegal content more quickly. From mid-February 2024, the new requirements will apply throughout the EU, but for certain, particularly large platforms, they will take effect earlier.

According to Breton, the laws offer effective tools to curb the spread of lies and hate. Twitter, he said, must also meet the criteria if it wants to continue to survive in the European market.

The Digital Service Act requires Twitter, among others, to comply with specific deletion deadlines and exact verification processes when it comes to illegal content reported by users.

Violations can have far-reaching consequences. Fines of up to 6 percent of annual revenue and a complete shutdown of the corresponding platform within the EU are possible, as reported by ZDF.