The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMSC) of the U.K.’s House of Commons has asked Elon Musk to appear before a hearing regarding his plans for running Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR).
What Happened: DCMCS Chairman Julian Knight sent a letter Musk’s office at the Palo Alto, California-based headquarters of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) inviting him to explain several of the proposed changes he raised during his acquisition of the company.
“My Committee has noted your proposed acquisition of Twitter and we are interested in the developments you propose,” Knight wrote. “In particular, your intention to roll out verification for all users echoes our calls on the U.K. Government as part of proposed legislation, which we hope will restore the U.K. public’s trust in digital platforms.
“Our 2020 Report on Misinformation in the Covid ‘Infodemic’ called for greater transparency of bots and automated and spam accounts, whilst our recent Report on the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill discussed ways to balance civil liberties like freedom of expression with the need to tackle pernicious, pervasive online child sexual exploitation and abuse,” Knight added. “I therefore wish to take this opportunity to invite you to speak before our Committee and discuss your proposals in more depth. I know you have expressed your wish that critics remain on Twitter and this may present an opportunity to address any critiques in public.”
See Also: Analysis: Will Elon Musk's Twitter Kowtow To Chinese Communist Party Influence?
What Happens Next: As an American citizen seeking the purchase of a U.S. company, Musk is not obligated to appear before the parliamentary committee, which focuses on traditional and social media issues within the U.K.
Elsewhere across the Atlantic, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, issued a statement last week that Musk’s version of Twitter would need to comply the European Union rules related to social media governance.
“I think Elon Musk knows Europe very well,” Bretton said. “He knows very well that we have some rules for the automotive industry ... and he understands that. So in Europe, in order to protect freedom of speech and to protect individuals, any companies will have to fulfill this obligation.”
Photo: Mohamed Hassan / Pixabay
