EU digital chief warns Musk Twitter must abide by 'rules'

The EU official overseeing internet regulation on Friday warned new Twitter boss Elon Musk the social media giant must play by the bloc's rules in Europe.

"In Europe, the bird will fly by our (EU) rules," EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton tweeted, in response to Musk writing that "the bird is freed".

The 27-nation bloc is imposing landmark legislation aimed at reining in the power of U.S. tech giants and forcing them to more closely screen illegal or harmful online content.

Musk pledged to make Twitter "a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner" after completing his protracted takeover of the platform.

The idea of the world's richest person running Twitter has alarmed activists who fear a surge in harassment and misinformation, with Musk himself known for trolling other Twitter users.

Musk has vowed to dial content moderation back to a bare minimum, and is expected to clear the way for former U.S. president Donald Trump to return to the platform.

Musk said the EU's new Digital Services Act was "exactly aligned with my thinking" when he met with Breton in May.