The European Commission said its two-year investigation found that X violated several DSA provisions, including the deceptive design of its blue checkmark for verified accounts, lack of transparency in its advertising repository, and failure to provide researchers access to public data.
Reacting to the fine, Musk commented on a European Commission post, writing simply, “Bullshit,” and shared posts criticizing the decision. He added, “Freedom of speech is the bedrock [of] democracy. The only way to know what you are voting for.”
TikTok, X’s major competitor, avoided a similar penalty after pledging changes to its advertisement library to improve transparency. The Commission is continuing investigations into both platforms, including X’s efforts to address illegal content and TikTok’s algorithmic systems and child protection measures.
European Commission tech chief Henna Virkkunen defended the fine, describing it as proportionate to the violations’ nature, gravity, and duration. “We are not here to impose the highest fines. We are here to make sure that our digital legislation is enforced. If you comply with our rules, you don’t get the fine. It’s as simple as that,” she said, emphasizing that the DSA is not about censorship.
The sanction has drawn sharp criticism from U.S. officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr denounced the move as an attack on American tech companies. Rubio posted on X that the fine “isn’t just an attack on @X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments.” Carr echoed the sentiment, saying Europe appears to be penalizing U.S. companies simply for being successful.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also weighed in before the EU decision, urging regulators to support free speech rather than target American firms for not censoring content.
Under the DSA, X now has 60 to 90 working days to implement measures to comply with the law, depending on the issue. The legislation allows fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual global revenue, making future penalties potentially significant for major tech platforms.
The EU’s crackdown on Big Tech is part of a broader effort to ensure smaller rivals can compete and that consumers have greater choice online, a move often cited as setting global standards for digital regulation.