A Member of the European Parliament has threatened that if Elon Musk fails to align X with European censorship regulations, the platform could be blocked within the EU.
This was asserted by Sandro Gozi, an Italian serving as an MEP for France, during an interview with La Repubblica. His precise words were: “If Elon Musk does not comply with the European rules on digital services, the EU Commission will ask the continental operators to block X or, in the most extreme case, force them to completely dismantle the platform in the territory of the Union.”
This dramatic stance has sparked a backlash from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who criticized Gozi’s comments as a “disturbing threat to free speech in Europe,” condemning the idea of muting millions to punish dissent. Salvini strongly stated, “Silencing the voice of millions of people in order to strike out at those who think differently from them? Unacceptable and disturbing.”
Italy’s conservative faction led by Giorgia Meloni has voiced strong support for Musk. A statement released by Meloni’s party underscored the growing concerns regarding what they perceive as an increasing appetite for censorship among left-leaning groups, irrespective of whether they identify as post-communist or liberal. “There is an irrepressible desire for censorship in this battered contemporary left, post-communist or liberal; it no longer makes any difference. They are terrified of freedom of expression, allergic to opinions that are not aligned with their mainstream, and inquisitors of anyone who does not submit to their suffocating cloak of conformism. Their false do-goodism now struggles to hide their true nature,” the statement read.
The controversy follows a previous incident where Internal Markets Commissioner Thierry Breton seemed to threaten Musk about hosting content from former US President Donald Trump for an interview.
Breton had warned that failing to control “harmful” content could result in serious legal consequences. He outlined the potential actions, noting, “may incite violence, hate, or racism…including in the context of elections,” and affirmed that non-compliance would lead to the “full use of [the] toolbox.”
However, the European Commission has distanced itself from Breton’s remarks, indicating that the timing and phrasing of his warning were not endorsed by the Commission President or other commissioners.
A spokesman confirmed that Breton’s communication was neither coordinated nor agreed with the higher echelons of the Commission.
