The EU fined X 120 million euros for violating transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, marking its first major non-compliance ruling and triggering sharp criticism from US officials who call the move anti-speech.
European Union regulators on Friday fined X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, 120 million euros for violating the bloc’s digital transparency rules — a landmark penalty that could inflame tensions with Washington and prompt fresh political backlash over free speech, according to the Associated Press.
The European Commission issued the non-compliance decision after a two-year probe under the Digital Services Act, the EU’s sweeping rulebook that requires major online platforms to protect users, curb harmful content and operate with far greater transparency. It is the first time the bloc has used the toughest enforcement tool available under the DSA.
EU CITES THREE TRANSPARENCY BREACHES
The Commission said X broke transparency rules in three areas: itsblue checkmark system, which regulators say misleads users; an ad database that lacks required information; and barriers that limit researchers’ access to public data.
Officials said these failures undermine user trust and weaken the EU’s ability to identify scams, manipulation and systemic risks.
Regulators pointed to the evolution of X’s blue badge system, noting that after Musk bought the platform in 2022, verification became a paid feature rather than a tool confirming identity. That shift, they said, left users more vulnerable to impersonation.
US OFFICIALS CALL FINE AN ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH
The penalty drew swift condemnation from senior US officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted that Brussels’ decision amounted to an attack on “all American tech platforms.”
Vice President JD Vance, posting on X ahead of the decision, accused the Commission of seeking to fine X “for not engaging in censorship.”
“The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage,” he wrote.
The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that the EU’s digital rules unfairly target US tech giants and hinted at retaliatory measures.
European officials pushed back at accusations of bias, saying enforcement is driven solely by democratic processes and legal obligations. “We are not targeting anyone based on their country of origin,” Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said. “Absolutely not.”
