The European Union (EU) could fine, suspend or even ban social media platform X if it fails to comply with the bloc’s rules, European Commission (EC) Executive Vice-President Stephane Sejourne said on Monday.
The EC’s Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy and former French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne recalled in an interview with “France Inter” that EU Commissioner Henna Virkkunen last week extended the investigation into Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter.
The EU has rules that will be applied, Sejourne stressed, adding that the commissioner’s report will take into account all the debates that have taken place in recent weeks, including those about Musk’s political interference in Europe after he expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) ahead of the February 23 elections.
“The report will come out, the file will be handed over to the judge, the sanctions could be very strong and amount to billions of euros. Ultimately, if it is not respected, it could lead to a ban, a suspension of X,” Sejourne explained.
As US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office later today, an EU official said the Americans “remain” allies of the bloc “but will defend their interests more.”
“The Americans want to separate from Europe to focus on the Pacific, it is time to realize European defense,” Sejourne stressed.
Noting that the Trump administration has used “the language of force,” Sejourne said that “the slightest European inconsistency” will be seen as weakness, AA writes.
