The warning came from Brussels during a video call between Musk and Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner responsible for enforcing the bloc’s digital rules, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

What threatens social networks?

Bretton told Musk that Twitter is following a rules check, including abandoning an “arbitrary” approach to bringing back banned users, “aggressively” chasing misinformation, and agreeing to a “extensive independent audit” of the platform by next year. He said he had to follow the list.

Musk has been warned that if he doesn’t follow the rules, Twitter risks violating the European Union’s new Digital Services Act, a new law that sets a global standard for how big tech companies censor online content. Breton reiterated that Twitter could face a Europe-wide ban or fines of up to 6 percent of its turnover if it violates the law.

Elon Musk’s reaction

The Twitter owner has repeatedly said he thinks the DSA is “very reasonable”, adding that he has read the legislation and believes it should be implemented worldwide. Musk has previously stated that Twitter will comply with all applicable laws.

Among the EU’s demands is for Musk to provide clear criteria for which users are at risk of being blocked. Musk reinstated Donald Trump’s account after polling users on whether the former US president should be allowed to re-enter the site.

Twitter said on its blog that none of its policies have changed and its trust and security team remains “strong and well-resourced”, but added:

Our approach to implementing the policy will depend on disabling content that violates freedom of expression, not freedom of access.

The company said it was still committed to “promoting and protecting public debate”, but replacing its “experimental approach” with more “public testing”.

US and EU pressured Musk on Twitter

Senior EU officials have expressed concern over whether Twitter will have enough staff to comply with the new rules after Musk laid off most of its 7,500 employees.

In the US, the government’s attention on Twitter appears to be focused on foreign ownership of the social media platform. When asked about Twitter on a New York Times conference call, Yellen mentioned the Foreign Investment Committee in the US and said she was “scrutinizing transactions involving foreign investments to see if they threaten national interests.”

US President Joe Biden said this month that Musk’s “cooperation” with other countries “deserves the attention” of US authorities. While Yellen previously denied the possibility of such an investigation, she recently said she had “slandered”.