European Union Threatens ‘Sanctions’ Against Musk’s Twitter After Journos Suspended

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The European Union has threatened sanctions against Elon Musk‘s Twitter following the service’s suspension of several journalists this week.

That thread was made via Twitter and referred to the suspension of journalists like CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan as “arbitrary.”

“News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct. @elonmusk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon,” tweeted EU commissioner Věra Jourová on Friday.

The proposed European Union Media Freedom Act “includes, among others, safeguards against political interference in editorial decisions and against surveillance,” according to the European Commission’s website.

Musk’s Twitter suspended several journalists on Thursday night, including left-wing Twitter journo Aaron Rupar, Washington Post’s Drew Harwell, The New York Times’s Ryan Mac, former MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, and others. Musk’s justification for the banning was the sharing of an account he banned that tracked Musk’s air travel.

“Harwell was banished from Twitter without warning, process or explanation, following the publications of his accurate reporting about Musk,” said Post executive editor Sally Buzbee in a statement. “Our journalist should be reinstated immediately.”

“Tonight’s suspension of the Twitter accounts of a number of prominent journalists, including The New York Times’s Ryan Mac, is questionable and unfortunate,” Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander told his own publication. “Neither The Times nor Ryan have received any explanation about why this occurred. We hope that all of the journalists’ accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this action.”