--- title: "Elon Musk Says He Has No Intention of Pulling Out" description: "Amid rumors, Elon Musk insists that he is not, as reports suggest, going to pull out of the European Union." date: "2023-10-20" modified: "2023-10-20" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-pulling-out-eu" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "European Union" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # Elon Musk Says He Has No Intention of Pulling Out ![Amid rumors, Elon Musk insists that he is not, as reports suggest, going to pull out of the European Union.]() *SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk (L) and Publicis Groupe's Chairman of the Supervisory Board Maurice Levy attend an event at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, on June 16, 2023. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP) (Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: JOEL SAGET/Getty Images\* ## Not So Fast Contrary to media rumors, Elon Musk insists he is not going to pull out... of Europe. We mentioned that in the headline, right? The admission comes after [*Insider* reported]() that the owner of X-formerly-Twitter had been considering making the social network inaccessible in the European Union over disinformation compliance issues with the international body's Digital Services Act. In response, the [father of at least 11]() said [in a tweet]() that he had no intention of pulling out. He slammed *Insider*'s reporting, based on purported insider sources who claimed to have heard him discuss the option of blocking X in Europe, as "utterly false," and that the website is "not a real publication." In spite of claiming to be "[exactly aligned]()" with the DSA's anti-disinformation platform during a May 2022 discussion with EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton, the two men have [publicly sparred]() in the interim. That fighting came to a head last week when the pair got into a protracted and public back-and-forth over a DSA investigation into the platform's lack of disinformation enforcement as violence between Israel and Hamas began to escalate. This [latest squabble]() began when Breton posted an "[urgent letter]()" on X, directed at Musk and highlighting the platform's rampant disinformation about the conflict. The letter charged X with enabling "illegal content and disinformation in the EU" and gave its owner 24 hours to respond. Musk was, as one might expect, not pleased with the threat. He ultimately [became defensive]() and [claimed that he didn't know]() what disinformation Breton was referencing. ## Money Walks As the *Insider* article that so offended the X owner claims, pulling out of Europe would save the site quite a lot of money in fines if the EU decides to hit it with any sizable penalties — penalties that would make it very difficult to [become profitable in 2024]() the way its new CEO wants. It would also, however, significantly shrink its already-declining user base — even if Europe only accounts for nine percent of X's global monthly users, as the Apptopia analytics firm told *Insider*. Stuck between curbing his [free speech warriorship]() to appease bureaucrats and [losing even more money]() on Twitter than he has already, Musk's claim seems to be that the real disinformation is happening in the pages of *Insider* — and damnit, he's [not owned](). **More on MuskX:** *[Elon Musk Planning to Charge Users $1 to Tweet]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()