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UK Parliament summons Elon Musk to discuss Twitter purchase

Elon Musk
Posted at 10:48 AM, May 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-04 18:12:12-04

LONDON — A British parliamentary committee scrutinizing draft online safety legislation has invited Elon Musk to discuss his plans to buy Twitter and the changes he’s proposing for the social media platform.

Parliament’s digital committee asked the Tesla CEO on Wednesday to give evidence about his proposals “in more depth.” “At a time when social media companies face the prospect of tighter regulations around the world, we’re keen to learn more about how Mr Musk will balance his clear commitment to free speech with new obligations to protect Twitter’s users from online harms,” said Julian Knight in a statement.

Knight is the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the U.K.

Musk said it’s too early to give an answer because shareholders haven't voted on the Twitter deal yet.

The committee said it’s interested in Musk’s plans, especially his intention to roll out verification for all users, which echoes its own recommendations.

The U.K. government's online safety bill would give regulators wide-ranging powers to crack down on digital and social media companies.

Musk recently bought the social media platform for $44 billion.

The U.K. Parliament has previously summoned Musk.

It summoned Musk, along with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2018 to a hearing on the data privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.