The European Union has warned digital platforms against livestreaming the planned execution in the United States of a man convicted of murdering American soldiers.

Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 56-year-old Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people and injured dozens more in a 2009 attack at a military base in Texas, would be executed by firing squad in public.

A US defence official said Hasan’s execution would be broadcast live on television. US President Donald Trump had previously said he had approved the public broadcast of the execution.

President Trump on Friday said he "absolutely" authorized the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the Fort Hood shooter’s execution. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Nidal Hasan’s execution by firing squad will be public. The ex-Army major was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.

— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 10, 2026

EU warns platforms to follow their own rules

Could the execution be broadcast in Europe? Under EU digital regulations, platforms are required to “diligently enforce their own terms and conditions”, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier explained.

“If we look at certain platforms, Meta explicitly prohibits livestreaming executions, while X and TikTok prohibit content that is shocking or glorifies violence,” he said.

Regnier declined to comment on how platforms operate in the United States.

“But in Europe, we have clear rules,” he added, referring to the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which deals, among other things, with tackling illegal content.

If social media companies fail to enforce their own rules, the EU will use the powers granted to it under its digital regulations to prevent the broadcast.

The Trump administration regularly criticises these regulations, describing them as a form of censorship.

Subsequent reporting indicates that Trump has said he will make the final decision on whether to livestream the execution, scheduled for 3 December 2026.