Social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, is facing a €120 million fine from the european Union following an inquiry into its practices under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission alleges the company failed to adequately protect users from harmful content and lacked transparency regarding advertising,prompting the substantial penalty. Musk responded to the fine by calling for the abolition of the EU, igniting further debate over content moderation and regulatory power in the digital age.
X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been hit with a €120 million fine following an investigation under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
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Elon Musk, head of xAI, the parent company of the social media platform X, stated on Saturday, December 6, that the European Union “should be abolished”, following the announcement of a €120 million fine against the platform for misleading practices and a lack of transparency.
“The EU should be abolished and the states [members] regain their sovereignty,” Musk argued on X, “which would allow governments to better represent their citizens.” The European Commission imposed the fine under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In July 2024, the EU notified X of its grievances, which included changes to the use of blue checkmarks following Elon Musk’s October 2022 acquisition of Twitter.
The awarding of these badges, previously a verification process and intended by Twitter’s founders as a sign of credibility, was opened to paying users without distinction under Musk’s leadership, potentially confusing users. The European Commission also criticized X for failing to provide sufficient information about its advertisements, including the identity of the advertiser. Another violation of EU regulations was the inability for accredited researchers to access the platform’s internal data.
The EU’s decision drew sharp criticism from U.S. conservatives, with whom Elon Musk is aligned. As early as Thursday, while rumors of a fine were circulating, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance accused the Commission of penalizing X “for not practicing censorship,” seemingly conflating the Friday decision with another EU investigation into illegal content and disinformation.
“The EU should support freedom of expression rather than attacking American companies for nonsense,” he wrote on X. “Europe is heading towards oblivion,” Musk added on Saturday, also denouncing “overregulation” in an interview video he posted on his account.
