Elon Musk’s decision to suddenly ‘block’ several prominent journalists on Twitter has sparked a backlash in Europe.
Germany warned of the impact on press freedom, while a senior EU official said Twitter must comply with the bloc’s rules or face possible sanctions.
“Freedom of the press cannot be ‘turned on and off’ when you want”, the German Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter, adding: “From today these journalists are no longer able to follow us, comment or criticize . We are concerned about this”
Věra Jourová, the European Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, said the “arbitrary suspension” of journalists was “disturbing” and she indicated the company could face penalties as a result.
“The EU Digital Services Act requires respect for media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedom act,” Jourová wrote in a tweet, adding that Musk “should be aware of this.”
“There are red lines here,” she continued. “And there will be sanctions, soon.”
On Thursday evening, Twitter suspended the accounts of several high-profile journalists from major news organizations without explanation, including CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, Ryan Mac of The New York Times and Drew Harwell of The Washington Post.
Neither Musk nor Twitter responded to a request for comment Thursday night, and the platform did not explain exactly why the journalists’ accounts were being suspended.
