EU may “make an example of X” by issuing $1 billion fine to Musk’s social network

Regulators discuss size of penalty as X calls punishment "political censorship."

See full article...

 

[EBone]

I can hear him whining already.

 

[SplatMan_DK]

Anyone know how to emigrate to Europe? Asking for me and all of my friends.

Actually getting an EU work visa as a US citizen is relatively easy.

Best countries for migrating is Scandinavia where you'll blend in easily and almost everyone speaks decent English. You'll be taxed more, but you'll have less risk if nasty surprises oe something bad happens (hospitalization or stuff).

If you're in some exotic Hi-Tech perhaps Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland is better.

That said ... honestly ... we need sane people to stay and fight the good fight. Please stay. Please consider finding like-minded people and organize actual (legal) resistance instead. If all sane people simply leave, the problem will last for longer.

I realize that's asking a lot. But the world needs your help. Devote some of your waking hours to bring about meaningful political change, in the company of other sane people.

Beer is on me when you're back in power.

 

[GrayBit]

Someone should text the number for the Self Harm help line to the White House.
Because they certainly seem intent on doing self harm.....

 

[GrayBit]

Actually getting an EU work visa as a US citizen is relatively easy.

Best countries for migrating is Scandinavia where you'll blend in easily and almost everyone speaks decent English. You'll be taxed more, but you'll have less risk of nasty surprises of something bad happens (hospitalization or stuff).

If you're in some exotic Hi-Tech perhaps Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland is better.

That said ... honestly ... we need sane people to stay and fight the good fight. Please stay. Please consider finding like-minded people and organize actual (legal) resistance instead. If all sane people simply leave, the problem will last for longer.

I realize that's asking a lot. But the world needs your help. Devote some of your waking hours to bring about meaningful political change, in the company of other sane people.

Beer is on me when you're back in power.

Honestly, as a european... I don't think you can even ask that of anyone.
I agree with the sentiment - but the ammount of crazy going on in the US.... only other US citizens can ask that in my opinion, at this point in time.

Edit: Also, the EU probably could use more skilled/educated workers. We all need more of those.

 

[RecycledHandle]

You should look into what the tendencies of governments which censor speech are throughout history. It's hilarious to me that this site is so full of so-called "liberals" advocating for government censorship of speech and overloads determining what is/is not disinformation.

The lack of awareness and ideological consistency is absolutely mind-boggling.

Do you mean « look at what’s happening right now at the US universities » ? It’s a great point !

 

[Einlanzerous]

Nail. His. Ass. To. The. Wall.

Rich people and companies have gotten away with far too much, for far too long. We need actual consequences for actions.

 

[GrayBit]

The EU likes having vague laws to enforce when they don't like the look of something. The US likes having very exact wording in laws, to enforce things (ostensibly) equally.

There are upsides and downsides to each -- see France's decision earlier this year about Apple's anti-tracking dialog boxes -- but I certainly don't mind seeing the EU use their teeth against X.

I wonder how it'll go.

"Vague laws" - what the fuck are you talking about?

Is the damn US constitution "vague"???
If not - why the hell do you allow the Orange idiot to walk all over it??

Damn, that's about the stupidest coment I've seen this week

 

[firondraak]

Please do it. Ban X across the EU if you have to.

 

[GrayBit]

Please do it. Ban X across the EU if you have to.

I wish we would... Still crossing my fingers.

 

[moddrift]

Please and much appreciated.

 

[nerdrage]

The EU should just flat-out ban Xitter and have done with it. Useless nonsense anyway.

 

[moddrift]

You should look into what the tendencies of governments which censor speech are throughout history. It's hilarious to me that this site is so full of so-called "liberals" advocating for government censorship of speech and overloads determining what is/is not disinformation.

The lack of awareness and ideological consistency is absolutely mind-boggling.

You have got to be fucking kidding. Talk about lack of awareness...

 

[thrillgore]

This is what democracy looks like

 

[Amarillo3]

...

That said ... honestly ... we need sane people to stay and fight the good fight. Please stay. Please consider finding like-minded people and organize actual (legal) resistance instead. If all sane people simply leave, the problem will last for longer.

...

This, this, this, this, this!

(said as an American)

Edit: We don't need all the Trump voters to change their minds!

 

[Klinn]

I’m not normally a fan of the “percentage of revenue” (as opposed to profit) type of fines, but I’ll certainly make an exception for X. And X’s “free speech” argument is garbage. But I’m not sure about going after other Musk-owned companies just because they are (majority) Musk owned. That seems to risk opening completely unrelated situations to unintended consequences.

The basic idea behind both those provisions is to prevent companies from playing games "cooking the books". For example saying they really only had two dollars profit this year, honest, or having profits registered with a different company owned by the same person. Skips over all the wrangling and debate that companies would do otherwise.

 

[GrayBit]

Hmm, some... one is going through the comments and downvoting all of them

 

[zeromind]

Someone should text the number for the Self Harm help line to the White House.
Because they certainly seem intent on doing self harm.....

While I am all for free speech including the White House getting help to do self harm, but I don't think those hot lines are for that.

 

[mozbo]

"If the reports that the European Commission is considering enforcement actions against X are accurate, it represents an unprecedented act of political censorship and an attack on free speech," X said.

Fuxk Xitter. They want the (lunatic) U.S. definition of corporate free speech. "I can say anything I want, no matter how false or how much it harm it causes."
Other countries aren't individualistic to the point of insanity. Xitter can chew wood chips.

The NYT report said it's possible the EU and X could reach "a settlement if the company agrees to changes that satisfy regulators' concerns."

Xitter will lie. They'll agree to make changes, then do nothing.

Fines of this magnitude should be collected up front. Money returned only when conditions are met. Otherwise this becomes a rotating lawyer-fest, where only pennies are paid on the actual fines.

But there is also a separate EU investigation in which regulators "are building a case that X's hands-off approach to policing user-generated content has made it a hub of illegal hate speech, disinformation and other material that is viewed as undercutting democracy across the 27-nation bloc," the report said. This second investigation reportedly could lead to additional penalties.

They're 100% guilty on that. Hopefully the fines are several billions. Frankly, "several billion" would be lightweight compared to the damage being caused.

 

[mozbo]

Proud to be European. Drain the real swamp!

"Swamp" .... It's more of a festering sewer.

 

[GrayBit]

While I am all for free speech including the White House getting help to do self harm, but I don't think those hot lines are for that.

I don't know know how to reply to that - because that's certainly not what I meant

 

[mozbo]

I put in my bet for the xAI is the new owner so they can't be responsible for X's past actions defense.

Not that this defense will ever work.

It won't work, usually, in the EU.

But in the U.S., it's the norm for companies to avoid compliance using rolling excuses.
"Oh, new <condition>? Wow, that's a messy transition. Take another 3 months 6 months year." Rinse, repeat.

 

[GrayBit]

I see China reacted with 34% tarrifs as well - and stocks keep plummeting....
Do you guys need help?

Edit: Currently an additional 4.7% but seems to be trending downward
Edit2: Ouch, passed 5% now

 

[mozbo]

Oh no, I seem to have misplaced my tiny, tiny violin again. Go on, EU, fine them into oblivion.

No worries, replacements are cheap.

 

[Bunge]

FREEZE PEACH!!!

end of line.

 

[fenncruz]

it represents an unprecedented act of political censorship and an attack on free speech,

Sorry but I have zero fucks to give to any American preaching to me about "free speech".

 

[Dedale]

EU citizen here. I consider twitter to be a propaganda and destabilisation tool the same way Russia Today is. We banned Russia Today we should do the same to twitter ASAP. And also TikTok. No beating around the bush. For the defense of Europe. It is our job as Europeans to make the effort to defend ourselves and assume the risks that come with fighting.

And if it can please non insane Americans it is a pleasant bonus ! Happy to oblige !

 

[gotosoda]

"European authorities have been weighing how large a fine to issue X as they consider the risks of further antagonizing [President] Trump amid wider trans-Atlantic disputes over trade, tariffs and the war in Ukraine," the NYT report said.

So tired of reading about how governments want to tippy-toe around the Orange Coprolite. If this is what your governments policy calls for then just DO IT! The hand wringing over "but Trump" crap is part of the problem and only emboldens him and his tech-bro mancrush.

Sadly, those of within the US have forfeited what little control we have so any real efforts to reign in the3 insanity that is the Trump administration will most likely have to come from outside the US.

 

[Alfonse]

The EU likes having vague laws to enforce when they don't like the look of something. The US likes having very exact wording in laws, to enforce things (ostensibly) equally.

There are upsides and downsides to each -- see France's decision earlier this year about Apple's anti-tracking dialog boxes -- but I certainly don't mind seeing the EU use their teeth against X.

I wonder how it'll go.

"Vague laws" - what the fuck are you talking about?

Is the damn US constitution "vague"???
If not - why the hell do you allow the Orange idiot to walk all over it??

Damn, that's about the stupidest coment I've seen this week

It's actually dumber than you think, as the vagueness of laws is one of the core differences between civil law and common law systems.

Generally speaking, common law systems are built around relatively simple laws, with court decisions doing the necessary work of applying those laws in corner cases. Civil law systems are built around rigid laws where, in corner cases, you basically need to go back to the legislative body to get them to alter those laws.

 

[ZippyPeanut]

Apple tried that. It didn’t make the issue go away, and they lost in the end anyway.

Yeah, but Musk is far better than Tim Apple at....

...licking Donald Trump's ass.

And as long as Musk remains useful to Trump, Trump can make life harder for the EU. The dynamics of this situation are different than the dynamics of the Apple's battle with Ireland and the European Commission.

It's interesting looking at it from this perspective because this is seemingly a good development for Mafioso Donnie: Musk now needs to be even more subservient to King Donald, because it's Trump, not Musk or anyone else, who's in a position to "make the issue go away."

 

[GrayBit]

It's actually dumber than you think, as the vagueness of laws is one of the core differences between civil law and common law systems.

Generally speaking, common law systems are built around relatively simple laws, with court decisions doing the necessary work of applying those laws in corner cases. Civil law systems are built around rigid laws where, in corner cases, you basically need to go back to the legislative body to get them to alter those laws.

Thank you. I learned something new.
Not sure if I need it - but I still like to educate myself.

 

[GrayBit]

And so precedent is set for simply levying fines against people the government doesn't like. Given how childish Trump is, expect him to hit the EU back with some bogus fines of his own, tit for tat. Naturally it's regular people who will feel the pain of this, not Elon, not Trump, certainly not EU bureaucrats.

Very unwise of the EU to stoop to this, knowing what kind of vindictive cretin we have in the Whitehouse. Opening up whole new avenues of economic warfare for Trump.

If you're arguing, the EU should just bend down to a bully, go ... something... yourself.

Edit: The US is already doing massive self harm. If Trump keeps playing this game, and just keep upping the tariffs etc. I feel sorry for all US citizens.

Edit 2: The USA has made itself an island in the world with these tariffs. Logic would say, other countries will just start trading more, and leave the USA isolated. So even if or when the USA decides to remove tariffs, it will take a long time before the effect goes away - if ever.

 

[JoHBE]

I sure hope we show some balls, here... Craving for Musk Tears.

 

[42Kodiak42]

I think the EU can get more than that: Go for the full $44bn he paid for it.

Ruin him

 

[Emon]

The EU have basically legislated everything we complain about here on the daily. And it's starting to work.

I often hear as a retort, "those won't do any good because it's too hard to enforce!"

It's like...what if I told you, the government could hire people to do specific tasks...perhaps as some sort of a...job

 

[Alfonse]

And so precedent is set for simply levying fines against people the government doesn't like. Given how childish Trump is, expect him to hit the EU back with some bogus fines of his own, tit for tat. Naturally it's regular people who will feel the pain of this, not Elon, not Trump, certainly not EU bureaucrats.

Very unwise of the EU to stoop to this, knowing what kind of vindictive cretin we have in the Whitehouse. Opening up whole new avenues of economic warfare for Trump.

Except that's not what this is about. What this is about is whether they would fine X appropriately based on the acts i question, or whether they'll bend the knee to Trump and protect his friend and dutiful lackey/fall guy.

 

[Dedale]

And so precedent is set for simply levying fines against people the government doesn't like. Given how childish Trump is, expect him to hit the EU back with some bogus fines of his own, tit for tat. Naturally it's regular people who will feel the pain of this, not Elon, not Trump, certainly not EU bureaucrats.

Very unwise of the EU to stoop to this, knowing what kind of vindictive cretin we have in the Whitehouse. Opening up whole new avenues of economic warfare for Trump.

We either submit to the bully or fight. fighting comes with a cost. My stock are down. They can stay down for a while if it is a small price to pay to fight bullies and go toward a world based on trust and respect instead of intimidation and aggression. I'll gladly pay that price. No worthwhile fight is effortless.

Other people fighting the good fight are Ukrainians but they risk life and limb. My financial sacrifice is in comparison very small.

 

[mode1charlie]

Go big, EU.

The only way to stop bullies is to punch them in the face - hard.