X fined $140 million for breaching EU rules, Elon calls for bloc abolition

Date:
Mon, 08 Dec 2025 11:40:00 +0000

Description:
The European Commission has fined X 120 million for three separate issues, including the blue checkmark.

FULL STORY

The European Commission has fined social media platform X 120 million
(euros, around US$140 million) for breaching transparency obligations set out under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Europes concerns include a lack of transparency of the platforms advertising repository and failure to provide researchers with access to public data. The bloc also criticized Xs blue checkmark scheme for being deceptive to users.

X, owned by Elon Musk, has been given 60 days to address blue checkmark concerns, and 90 days to provide an action plan for ad transparency and research data access.

Failure to comply with the European Commissions remedial timeframes could see Musks platform face ongoing penalty payments.

Regarding Xs advertising, the EU noted that the platform incorporates design features and access barriers like processing delays, which hinders
researchers and the public to independently scrutinize any potential risks. Repositories play an important role in detecting scams, hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated information operations and fake advertisements - many
of which could be loaded with malware or lead to identity theft .

For researchers, Xs terms prohibit eligible researchers from independently accessing its public data.

The EU also noted that X fails to conduct sufficient verification for
accounts applying for the paid blue checkmark. Its deceptive because [the
DSA] clearly prohibits online platforms from falsely claiming that users have been verified, when no such verification took place.

Even though the case has been about two years in the making, with investigations starting in December 2023, this landmark case denotes the
first fine under the DSA.

With the DSAs first non-compliance decision, we are holding X responsible for undermining users rights and evading accountability, Tech Sovereignty,
Security and Democracy SVP Henna Virkkunen commented .

US Ambassador to the EU Andy Puzder said the fine was excessive and targeting American innovation.

The Trump Administration has been clear: we oppose censorship and will challenge burdensome regulations that target US companies abroad, Puzder
said, anticipating fair, open, & reciprocal trade with the EU.

Responding to Virkkunens X post , Musk responded : You love censorship more than life itself.

Separately, Musk wrote : The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned
to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their
people.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/x-fined-usd140-million-for-breaching-eu-rules-el on-calls-for-bloc-abolition

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