According to TechSpot, the European Union fined X 120 million euros, roughly $140 million, on Friday for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) following a two-year investigation. This is the first-ever fine issued under the DSA, a 2022 law designed to hold platforms accountable for illegal content, algorithmic transparency, and user safety. The specific breaches involve X’s “deceptive” blue checkmark system, a lack of transparency in its advertising repository, and failing to provide adequate public data access for researchers. Elon Musk responded to the EU’s announcement on X with the word “Bullshit,” and followed up a day later by calling for the EU to be “abolished.” In retaliation, X has shut down the European Commission’s ad account on the platform. The company now has 60 days to address the blue checkmark issues and 90 days to submit plans for fixing the ad and data access problems.
Musk Goes Nuclear Again
Here’s the thing: this is a classic Musk playbook move. Faced with regulatory pressure, he doesn’t just push back. He goes for the existential threat. Calling for the abolition of the entire European Union isn’t a legal argument; it’s a political grenade. It immediately reframes the conversation from “Did X break these specific rules?” to a grand, messy debate about sovereignty and global governance. Smart? Maybe. Effective at rallying his base? Absolutely. But it does precisely zero to help X’s actual legal case. And shutting down the EU’s ad account feels more like a petty, symbolic slap than a meaningful business move, given they hadn’t used it since 2021. It’s performative anger, which is Musk’s specialty.
The Real Issue Is Transparency
Look, beyond the fireworks, the EU’s case seems pretty targeted. The “deceptive” blue check thing? That’s a direct shot at Musk’s controversial pay-to-play verification system, which absolutely muddied the waters about what a checkmark means. The lack of an ad repository and data for researchers cuts to the heart of the DSA’s goals: letting outsiders see how the platform works and what’s being amplified. Musk’s X has been notoriously opaque since he took over. So, is the fine huge? Yes. But is it coming out of nowhere? Not really. It seems like the EU is making an example out of the first big platform to clearly, and repeatedly, flout its new rules.
A Broader US vs. EU Tech War?
The reactions from US politicians like Marco Rubio and Ambassador Andrew Puzder are telling. They’re framing this not as a compliance issue for one company, but as an “attack on all American tech platforms.” This is where it gets bigger than Musk. The EU’s DSA, and its sister law the Digital Markets Act (DMA), represent the world’s most aggressive attempt to rein in Big Tech. American companies dominate that space. So every enforcement action is going to be viewed through a geopolitical lens. Will this push other US tech giants to lobby harder in Washington against EU regulations? Probably. It’s turning into a major friction point in transatlantic relations, with X as the current battlefield.
What Happens Next?
So, does X just pay the fine and move on? I doubt it. Musk loves a fight, and he has the resources to drag this out in court for years. The 60 and 90-day plans they have to submit will be the first legal chess moves. But here’s a rhetorical question: can a platform that thrives on controversy and “free speech absolutism” ever truly comply with a law like the DSA, which mandates proactive risk management and content moderation? Their entire product philosophy seems at odds with the regulation. This feels less like a one-off penalty and more like the opening skirmish in a long, ugly war between Musk’s vision for X and the EU’s vision for a safer internet. Buckle up.
