EU hits Musk’s X with $140m fine for ‘deceptive’ blue tick, ad transparency

Landmark punishment triggers US fury arsenic Brussels enforces archetypal integer transparency sanction.

The European Union has slapped a 120 cardinal euro ($140m) punishment connected Elon Musk’s societal media level X for breaching integer transparency rules, igniting a transatlantic clash implicit tech regulation.

Brussels announced the good connected Friday successful its archetypal enforcement enactment nether the Digital Services Act, authorities designed to rein successful societal media companies.

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The determination has deepened tensions with Washington, wherever officials accused Europe of targeting US businesses nether the guise of protecting users.

European regulators recovered X blameworthy of 3 violations aft a two-year investigation. The platform’s paid bluish checkmark system, which Brussels said “deceives users” astir relationship authenticity, drew a 45 cardinal euro ($52.4m) penalty.

X was fined different 35 cardinal euros ($40.7m) for failing to support transparent advertizing records that would assistance place scams and fake governmental advertisements, portion blocking researchers from accessing nationalist information outgo the institution 40 cardinal euros ($46.6m).

Today, we fined X for non-compliance with transparency obligations nether the DSA.

We're holding X accountable for:
🔹Deceptive plan of its ‘blue checkmark’
🔹Lack of transparency of its advertizing repository
🔹Failure to supply entree to nationalist information for researchers

↓

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) December 5, 2025

The determination risks further inflaming commercialized negotiations betwixt Brussels and Washington, wherever the Trump medication has demanded Europe wantonness regulations it views arsenic protectionist.

US Vice President JD Vance lashed retired astatine Brussels adjacent earlier the announcement, claiming the level was being punished “for not engaging successful censorship”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the good “an onslaught connected each American tech platforms and the American radical by overseas governments”.

Commenting connected Rubio’s post, Musk wrote, “Absolutely”. Commenting connected the EU’s station announcing the fine, Musk wrote: “Bulls***”.

But EU tech main Henna Virkkunen denied the ruling amounted to censorship.

“Deceiving users with bluish checkmarks, obscuring accusation connected ads and shutting retired researchers person nary spot online successful the EU,” she said, adding that Brussels was simply “holding X liable for undermining users’ rights.”

European politicians expressed alleviation aft what galore saw arsenic prolonged delays successful enforcement.

French Digital Minister Anne Le Henanff described it arsenic a “magnificent announcement,” portion Germany’s integer minister, Karsten Wildberger, said it showed Brussels was “determined to enforce” its rules.

Critics argued the punishment was excessively modest.

The good represents a fraction of the 5.9 cardinal euros ($6.9bn) maximum allowed nether the act, which permits sanctions of up to 6 percent of planetary revenue.

Politico reported that Cori Crider, enforcement manager of the Future of Technology Institute, said, “Musk volition moan successful nationalist – successful private, helium volition beryllium doing cartwheels.”

X present has betwixt 60 and 90 days to taxable compliance plans addressing the violations oregon look further periodic penalties.

The institution did not respond to requests for remark by the Reuters quality agency.

The ruling lands amid broader investigations into 10 large platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Chinese-owned TikTok avoided penalties connected Friday by pledging to amended its advertizing transparency.

Brussels continues to probe whether X has failed to combat amerciable contented and accusation manipulation, violations that could trigger substantially larger fines.