EU imposes 120 million euro fine on Elon Musk's X for violating social media law in bloc

LONDON The European Union has fined Elon Musks social media platform X 120 million euros ($140 million) for failing to comply with EU digital regulations, which authorities said could put users at risk of scams and manipulation. The European Commission announced the penalty after a two-year investigation into the platform under the blocs Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DSA is a comprehensive set of rules that obligates online platforms to take responsibility for protecting European users and removing harmful or illegal content. Non-compliance can result in significant fines.

The Commission identified three separate violations by X, formerly known as Twitter, relating to the DSAs transparency obligations. The companys design of blue checkmarks was found to be misleading, potentially exposing users to scams. Additionally, X did not meet the requirements for transparency in its advertising database. EU rules mandate that platforms maintain a clear, accessible database of all digital ads, including information about who paid for them and the targeted audience, to aid researchers in spotting fake ads, scams, and coordinated influence efforts. The Commission noted that Xs database had access restrictions and delays that hindered this transparency.

Regulators also criticized X for creating obstacles for researchers attempting to access platform data. Misleading users with verification badges, concealing ad information, and restricting researcher access have no place online in the EU. The DSA exists to safeguard users, said Henna Virkunnen, the EU executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, in a statement.

Author: Lucas Grant