The European Commission has imposed a fine of €120 million (about $140 million) on X for breaching transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, citing deceptive use of blue checkmarks, ad transparency failures and limits on researcher access to data. Elon Musk, who bought the platform in 2022, has framed the move as an attack on free speech while pointing to a surge in downloads across Europe.
The European Commission announced on Friday that it fined X €120 million — roughly $140 million — for non‑compliance with transparency obligations under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
According to the Commission’s decision and accompanying press materials, the penalty is the first non‑compliance fine issued under the DSA and targets three main areas: the deceptive design of X’s blue checkmark system, a lack of transparency in the platform’s advertising repository, and X’s failure to provide required access to public data for researchers. The Commission said that allowing users to pay for a “verified” blue checkmark without meaningful identity checks misleads the public about account authenticity and exposes users to scams and impersonation, and that X’s ad repository lacks key information and erects barriers that prevent effective scrutiny by researchers and civil society.
Elon Musk, who purchased what was then Twitter in 2022 and later rebranded it as X, has used the platform to attack the ruling and argue that Brussels is targeting a platform he presents as committed to free speech. As highlighted by the Daily Wire, Musk promoted third‑party rankings showing X had become the most downloaded app across Europe after the EU announced its action. On Sunday he posted that “X is seeing record‑breaking downloads in many countries in Europe” and added, “Now number 1 in every EU country!” He also wrote, “The European Union is not DEMOcracy–rule of the people–but rather BUREAUcracy–rule of the unelected bureaucrat!”
X executives have also criticized how the European Commission publicized its decision. In a response reported by the Daily Wire and echoed in technology outlets, X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, accused the Commission of exploiting a quirk in the platform’s advertising tools to boost the reach of its announcement. “The irony of your announcement: You logged into your dormant ad account to take advantage of an exploit in our Ad Composer — to post a link that deceives users into thinking it’s a video and to artificially increase its reach,” Bier wrote in a post on X. He added that X believes “everyone should have an equal voice” on the platform and said the Commission’s ad account had been terminated. Musk later reposted Bier’s statement. X has since cut off the Commission’s access to its ad account, a move described as largely symbolic by some analysts because the account had reportedly seen little use in recent years.
The EU’s action has prompted a sharp response from senior figures in the Trump administration in Washington, underscoring broader transatlantic tensions over regulation of U.S. technology firms. As reported by the Daily Wire and other outlets, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Commission’s decision “an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments,” adding that “the days of censoring Americans online are over.” Vice President JD Vance, speaking shortly before the fine was publicly announced, argued that the EU should “support free speech not attack American companies over garbage.”
European officials, for their part, insist the case is about enforcing EU law rather than policing political speech. In its press release, the Commission said the DSA is intended to protect users’ rights and ensure transparency around how major platforms operate, including how accounts are presented as verified, how ads are labeled and archived, and how researchers can study systemic online risks.
The dispute over X highlights a growing clash between U.S. political leaders skeptical of European regulation and EU policymakers determined to assert their authority over large digital platforms that operate across the bloc. X has 60 to 90 days, depending on the specific obligations, to detail how it will address the violations or face the possibility of additional penalties under the DSA.
