EU regulators impose a 120 million euro fine on Elon Musk's X for violating bloc's social media law

LONDON The European Union has levied a 120 million euro ($140 million) fine against Elon Musks social media platform X for not adhering to the blocs digital legislation. The European Commission announced the sanction after a two-year probe under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs online platforms across the 27 EU member states.

The DSA mandates that digital platforms take responsibility for user safety and remove illegal or harmful content, with penalties for non-compliance. According to the Commission, Xformerly known as Twitterviolated the transparency obligations of the law in three separate ways.

Regulators highlighted that Xs blue verification badges were misleading in design, potentially putting users at risk of scams and manipulation. Additionally, the platform failed to meet requirements for its advertising database and did not adequately provide researchers with access to publicly available data.

Analysis: EU Fine Signals Stronger Enforcement of Digital Rules

The European Commission's 120 million euro fine against X underscores the EU's commitment to enforcing the Digital Services Act. After a two-year investigation, regulators found multiple breaches of transparency obligations, highlighting ongoing concerns about user safety and platform accountability.

X’s handling of blue verification badges, advertising data, and researcher access illustrates systemic gaps in compliance. These issues not only risk misleading users but also limit independent oversight, which the DSA explicitly aims to strengthen.

This penalty serves as a clear signal to all major digital platforms operating in the EU: adherence to transparency and data access requirements is mandatory, and failure to comply carries significant financial consequences.

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• EU regulators hit Elon Musk's X with 120 million euro fine for breaching bloc's social media law