Why Elon Musk thinks the EU 'should be abolished'
What's the story
Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, has called for the abolition of the European Union (EU) after his company was slapped with a €120 million ($140 million) fine. The penalty was imposed by the European Commission under its Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA, which came into effect in August 2023, lays down strict rules for content moderation and user data handling by Big Tech companies.
Violations
X's violations of EU's Digital Services Act
The European Commission accused X of violating three transparency requirements under the DSA. These include the misleading design of its "blue checkmark" feature for verified accounts, lack of access to public data for researchers, and insufficient transparency in advertising practices. The platform had received a formal warning last year for failing to tackle dangerous content.
Musk's reaction
Musk's response to EU fine
In response to the fine, Musk took to X to say that "the EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries." He argued this would allow governments to better represent their people. In another post, he said, "I love Europe, but not the bureaucratic monster that is the EU."
Criticism
US criticizes EU's fine on X
The fine has also drawn criticism from the United States administration of Donald Trump. Trump had previously allied with Musk on a controversial plan to cut federal jobs and spending.