The European Union imposed a $140 million fine on the social media network X, owned by Elon Musk, as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities in its verification system and transparency policies. The decision may once again lead to tense relations with US President Donald Trump.
The punishment is based on violations reported in July 2024, when European authorities accused the platform of misleading users with a blue verification tick, not providing clear information about ads and restricting access to its internal data to approved researchers.
From the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the action as “an attack on the American people by foreign governments” and stated that “the era of censorship against Americans on the Internet is over.” Vice President J.D. Vance had spoken before the official announcement and said the EU “should defend freedom of expression instead of attacking American companies for bullshit.”
Facing criticism, the European Commission’s Vice-President responsible for digital affairs, Hina Virkonen, responded that the punishment had “nothing to do with censorship” and that the bloc’s goal was to ensure compliance with the Digital Services Regulation (DSA). “If you follow our rules, we won’t fine you. It’s that simple,” he said.
This is the first penalty applied by the European Commission under this regulation, which was approved to combat the dissemination of illegal and harmful content online.
Verification changes
Before its purchase by Musk in 2022, and after acquiring the company for $44 billion, the businessman modified the system and enabled the badge only for subscribed users, a decision that in Brussels generated a scenario of possible public confusion.
The European Union is also conducting a complementary investigation into illegal content and disinformation on the platform, a process that has not yet been closed.
The case added political nuance because of the volatile relationship between Musk and Trump. After a mid-year gap, the two parties recently resumed dialogue, although they did not reach the previous level of rapprochement.
At the end of November, US officials traveled to Brussels and proposed making the European regulatory framework more flexible in exchange for lower steel tariffs in the bloc. The offer was rejected on the grounds that Europe would retain the power to legislate and enforce its own digital standards.