Elon Musk has launched a fierce attack on the European Union after regulators fined his platform X for violating transparency rules under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The EU imposed a €120 million penalty, citing deceptive design of X’s paid blue checkmark, inadequate transparency in its advertising library and failure to provide researchers with access to public data.
Musk called the decision “insane,” arguing that the fine unfairly targets both the company and him personally. He warned that his next steps would be directed not only at EU institutions but at the officials behind the ruling, later adding in a follow-up post that “the EU should be abolished.”
His comments have triggered a political flashpoint across the Atlantic. Senior U.S. officials have framed the fine as a broader attack on free expression and accused Europe of routinely singling out American tech giants. President Donald Trump has threatened retaliatory tariffs if Brussels continues tightening its regulatory grip on U.S. companies.
European regulators maintain that X’s blue check system exposes users to impersonation and fraud, that its advertising database lacks the transparency required by the DSA and that researchers cannot access necessary platform data, breaches they say undermine consumer protection and accountability.
The clash puts renewed pressure on already-strained EU-U.S. tech relations, with both sides preparing for what could become a long regulatory and political fight over the future of digital governance.
Elon Musk’s X fined US$140 million by EU over ‘deceptive’ blue checkmarks
