Twitter’s owner Elon Musk has been invited to testify before the European Parliament.
In a letter, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola invited Musk to Brussels for a “frank exchange in public” with legislators.
We obtained a copy of the letter for you here.
“Twitter plays a central role in the democratic life of the European Union and enable[s] the possibility for civil discourse,” Metsola wrote. “Twitter should not unwittingly become a catalyst for hate speech, election interference, and misinformation.”
In November, Metsola agreed to a request by European lawmakers to invite Musk. In the letter, she said she was “confident” that the tech billionaire would accept the invitation.
However, the European Parliament does not have the power to summon executives of US companies.
Musk’s leadership of the platform has raised concerns in Europe where free speech isn’t as widely valued.
On Monday, European Commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, “Platforms can’t keep flip-flopping on policies. I’ve instructed the European Commission teams to enforce [the EU’s content law, the Digital Services Act] no later than 1 September 2023.”
The DSA aims to force online platforms to better “protect” consumers from “harmful” content.
