"He stepped down from the role in September 2024, reportedly after disagreements with Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, and since then has been officially retired. While in post however, he made the most of the role and came to global attention in 2023 after the launch of the first investigations under a new EU law into X (formerly Twitter), Facebook owner Meta and TikTok over the spread of false information and hate speech following the Hamas-Israel conflict."
"A former CEO of French tech and telecom firms, Breton was the first major business leader to arrive in the cosy world of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, and rapidly became very media savvy, wanting to be seen as a disrupter who can effect change. He frequently gives interviews to media and has mastered the art of a quick quip on social media, even going head-to-head with Musk, and is also a fluent English speaker."
Thierry Breton was denied a US visa alongside four others because of their roles in regulating and monitoring American social media companies. The US State Department characterized them as activists and weaponized NGOs advancing censorship crackdowns that targeted American speakers and companies. Breton served as EU internal market commissioner from 2019 to 2024, overseeing digital and industry issues, and stepped down in September 2024 after disagreements with Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Breton led 2023 investigations under a new EU law into X, Meta and TikTok over misinformation and hate speech following the Hamas-Israel conflict. Breton is a former CEO of French tech and telecom firms, an advocate for increased European arms production after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and a prominent, media-savvy figure in EU tech regulation.
Read at The Local France
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