EU vs. Elon Musk Brussels fines Platform X 120 million euros
The EU is setting an example: Despite clear warnings from Donald Trump's US government, it is stepping up its action against American tech companies and fining Elon Musk's X 120 million euros.
05.12.2025, 13:16
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- For the first time, the EU imposes a fine of 120 million euros on X (formerly Twitter) for violations of the Digital Services Act, in particular with regard to user verification, advertising transparency and data access for researchers.
- The decision is causing diplomatic tensions with the US, where high-ranking politicians accuse the EU of censorship and attacks on freedom of expression.
- X has 60 working days to respond and could take legal action against the decision, while further proceedings for disinformation and illegal content are still pending.
The EU fines Elon Musk's online platform X millions for lack of transparency. The US company will have to pay 120 million euros, among other things due to the misleading authentication of user accounts using the white verification checkmark on a blue background, as announced by the responsible EU Commission. It also accuses the Twitter successor of withholding data from researchers and not transparently documenting the advertising placed.
The decision against X on the basis of the Digital Services Act (DSA) could strain relations with the United States. There was already criticism from Washington before Brussels officially announced the decision.
US Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that the EU should support freedom of expression instead of attacking American companies "over garbage". US President Donald Trump had criticized European digital laws in the past as anti-competitive.
In its security strategy published on Thursday evening (local time), the US government also warns of a loss of democracy and freedom of expression in Europe. According to the strategy, there is also "censorship of freedom of expression".
This is how the 120 million fines come about
According to the EU's decision, the fine is made up of three parts: 45 million euros for the verification ticks, 40 million euros for the lack of data access for researchers and 35 million euros for the lack of transparency in advertising.
The EU Commission justified the amount of the fine. The fine is proportionate to the infringement, emphasized an EU official. The annual turnover of Musk's company did not play a direct role in the calculation of the fine.
The Brussels authority argued that the type of verification used by X was misleading for users. They could believe that there are real, verified users behind the accounts with the checkmarks - but this is not necessarily the case.
The catch with the checkmark
The verification checkmarks had already caused trouble years ago. When X was still called Twitter, the white checkmarks on a blue background were awarded to celebrities, politicians and public figures for verification purposes following a check by the company. This is also common practice for other online services.
However, after the takeover in the fall of 2022, Musk introduced checkmarks for all paying subscription customers - with the symbols looking exactly the same as before. Immediately after the changeover in particular, there was a lot of trouble because fake accounts of companies and celebrities suddenly looked real.
The website now states that a user name and profile photo are required in addition to a subscription. Furthermore, there should be no signs of fraudulent or misleading behavior. There are now also gold tick symbols for companies and silver ones for authorities and government organizations.
Is X going to court? How will Trump react?
It is now eagerly awaited how Musk will react to the fine. When the EU Commission presented its preliminary findings in the case in July 2024, he reacted with irony at X: "How do we know you're real?" he asked in response to a post by Thierry Breton, the EU Commissioner responsible at the time.
Aside from Musk's public reaction, it is possible that X will take legal action against the decision and the case could ultimately end up before the European Court of Justice (ECJ). For EU officials, one thing is clear: the first DSA case to result in a fine should not be lost in court. The damage to the company's image would be considerable, they said in Brussels. The US company now has 60 working days to announce adjustments.
Digital Services Act has been in force since February 2024
The fine now imposed is the first imposed by the European Commission on the basis of the DSA. The comprehensive set of rules has been in force since February 2024 and is intended to be a sharp sword against practices by tech giants that are considered dangerous. Online platforms must adhere to much stricter regulations due to the DSA: User complaints are to be better addressed, illegal content removed more quickly and children better protected.
Otherwise, online platforms will face severe penalties: up to six percent of their global annual turnover is possible. The EU Commission can also impose daily fines until problems are rectified. However, critics accuse the authority of making too little use of these sanctions.
France, for example, recently demanded that EU officials take tough action against the online retailer Shein after it offered sex dolls that looked like children. The European internet watchdogs then demanded information from Shein.
Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) praised the decision against X as an important signal. It shows that the EU Commission is resolutely applying the DSA and protecting European values, he said on the fringes of a meeting of digital ministers in Brussels.
Counterexample Tiktok? EU proceedings discontinued
In addition to the million-euro fine for X, the EU Commission announced - at the same time - that proceedings against Tiktok had been discontinued. The video platform of parent company Bytedance, based in Beijing, had also been targeted by Brussels for non-transparent advertising.
The DSA obliges platforms to keep an accessible and searchable archive of the ads they have placed. The EU Commission argues that these archives are of crucial importance for authorities, researchers and civil society. For example, to uncover attempts at fraud, advertising for illegal or unsuitable products or disinformation campaigns.
Following intensive discussions, Tiktok has made binding commitments in this regard, thereby clearing up the EU Commission's accusations, according to a statement from the Brussels authority. However, further proceedings are also underway against Tiktok. For example, because of the possible influence that the video platform has on children and young people or democratic processes. Decisions in these proceedings are still pending.
The US company X could also face further penalties. The European internet watchdogs have also been targeting X since December 2023 because the platform is suspected of not doing enough to combat illegal content or disinformation. The decisions in these investigations are still pending, according to EU officials.
