Renee Parsons\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n On the eve of the Elon Musk \u2013 Donald Trump conversation<\/span><\/a> which aired over X on August 13th, an obscure EU Commissioner wrote to X Chair\/Owner Musk in a presumptuous, if brazen, letter asserting that the UK\u2019s Constitutionally flawed Digital Services Act<\/span><\/a> required US compliance.\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Nothing could be further from the truth.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Written on behalf of the European Commission, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton\u2019s letter<\/span><\/a> aroused considerable public attention as it stirred more interest in the upcoming conversation between America\u2019s two high profile icons.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Breton was part of the von der Leyden Commission which prepared the DSA<\/span><\/a> based on Ursula von der Leyden\u2019s draft proposal during her campaign for EU President in 2019.\u00a0 <\/span>In its adoption of the DSA, the EU which does not recognize America\u2019s First Amendment or its intent, assumes an international mandate over all digital communication as it declares itself the lone arbiter of what constitutes all that is fit to print.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Breton\u2019s letter asserted that the legally defective “<\/span>DSA<\/i><\/span> obligations apply without exceptions or discrimination to the moderation of the whole user community and content of X (including yourself as a user with over 190 million<\/i> followers<\/i>)\u201d while citing X\u2019s responsibility to submit to the \u201crisk of amplification of potential harmful content around the world.\u201d <\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Breton went on to remind Musk\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI am compelled to remind you of the due diligence obligations in the Digital Services Act (DSA)\u201d <\/i>although as a US citizen and X as a US company, neither are under any obligation to comply with the DSA.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, Breton\u2019s letter tested the historic borders of a foreign country daring to insinuate itself directly into American politics, not unlike how Israel has assumed ownership of the entire US Congress.\u00a0 <\/span>The EU\u2019s adoption of the DSA has lost sight of the fact that Great Britain\u2019s ability to influence American policy ended when General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown in 1781. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n What received little media attention the next day was that Breton\u2019s letter received no green light from EU President Ursula von der Leyden and that Breton took it upon himself to initiate the letter to Musk who had already by targeted by the DSA.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n After creating considerable turmoil on both sides of the pond, Breton was not authorized<\/span><\/a> to issue any warning to Musk citing \u2018harmful content\u2019<\/i> by broadcasting the conversation with former President Trump as it demanded X compliance with the DSA. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n What Breton called X\u2019s \u2018due diligence obligations\u2019<\/i> requires platforms like X to \u2018moderate illegal content\u2019<\/i> that is deemed a \u201crisk to public safety<\/i>.”\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Breton\u2019s letter, nor does the DSA, define what constitutes \u2018illegal\u2019 content.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Known as UK\u2019s top digital<\/span><\/a> enforcer, Breton was immediately faulted by the EU of \u2018going rogue\u2019<\/i> as it offered\u00a0 <\/span>that Breton\u2019s \u201ctiming and the wording of the letter were neither coordinated or agreed with the president nor with the [commissioners<\/i>].\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n With a false sense of influence since no EU Members are elected to public office,\u00a0 <\/span>Breton\u2019s letter constituted interference in American politics as House Judiciary Committee Chair, Rep. Jim Jordan informed the Commissioner that the Committee \u201ccondemned the European Union\u2019s actions<\/i><\/span><\/a>, threatening to investigate their attempts to infringe on free speech.\u201d<\/i> \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jordan went on to \u201cdemand that you stop any attempt to intimidate individuals or entities engaged in political speech in the United States\u201d <\/i>and that the Committee <\/i>is conducting oversight on whether the US State Department has colluded to censor lawful speech as it subpoenaed the Department to respond to the Biden Administration\u2019s silence.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Background for Breton\u2019s over-reaction has blamed social media in the UK for false information while fueling far-right sentiment within the EU that precipitated the spread of\u00a0recent riots in the UK<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n While the DSA is little more than a blatant censorship campaign, the EU\u2019s attempt is to rein in big tech<\/span><\/a> firms as it enforces European values regarding free expression, corporate responsibility and fostering a pluralistic society. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Referred to as the \u201cnew constitution for the internet<\/span><\/a>\u201d suggests a rulebook for platforms to handle material that has been deemed illegal, yet fails to define what the DSA calls illegal or harmful content as well as dis or misinformation.\u00a0 <\/span>The DSA requires independent audits to assure compliance as the EU hires 200 employees to enforce the law. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As the war in Ukraine began in 2022, European policymakers felt a sense of urgency to move the legislation forward to ensure that major tech platforms protected against the spread of \u2018illegal\u2019 content, were transparent and properly regulated; thereby attempting to block the Russians from informing the public about the conduct of the war.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Across the pond, the US cabal is laboring to destroy America\u2019s Constitutional Republic via multiple effort; not the least of which is the struggle to neuter the First Amendment. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is expected that some US big tech firms may already be in compliance with the DSA in removing \u2018extremist<\/i>\u2019 content even without being confronted given its need to conform while sanctity of the First Amendment still blocks a wholesale auction on free speech. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n As a harbinger of what is to come within the US, the EU took the liberty of setting up an office<\/span><\/a> in Silicon Valley in order to liaison on the DSA despite its clear danger to free internet speech even as the Europeans had earlier insisted they would never support<\/span><\/a> censorship of content.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n On this side of the pond, there is a new era aborning as establishment elite media<\/span><\/a> like the NY Times dramatic 2019 op ed entitled \u201cFree Speech is Killing US<\/i>\u201d accusing even the First Amendment of \u2018eroding our democracy<\/i>\u201d which claims \u2018disinformation\u2019 or hate speech a result of unmonitored free speech.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Washington Post<\/span><\/a>, no longer the heyday of independent journalism, suggested that \u201cThe US could Learn from EU\u2019s Speech Rules<\/i>\u201d which also dismissed the First Amendment.\u00a0 <\/span>In a recent article in a liberal political news publication which reviewed the EU\u2019s charges against X, Politico<\/span><\/a> never once mentioned the First Amendment.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In 2022, Musk bought what was then called Twitter, renamed it to X and promised to open dialogue in the name of free speech which has, to a large extent, been successful as it presented otherwise previous limited articles to a wider audience.<\/span><\/p>\n The current Breton letter is not the DSA\u2019s first foray in the US as X was targeted by the EU in 2023.\u00a0 <\/span>The EU opened official proceedings based on suspected infringement of \u2018breaching its obligations on transparency\u2019<\/i> and failure to respect the\u00a0 <\/span>Digital Services Act<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span><\/span>X has been<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span> formally charged X<\/span><\/a> with a possible multi million euro fine as the DSA will investigate X\u2019s systems and policies<\/span><\/a> including the possible spread of terrorist and violent content linked to the October 7<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> Hamas attack in Israel.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n