LunagisthubEU Slaps Elon Musk’s X with $140 Million Fine for Breaching Digital Rules
The European Union has imposed a hefty fine of $140 million on Elon Musk’s social media platform X for violating its digital rules. This marks the first major penalty under the EU’s powerful Digital Services Act (DSA) .
The EU found that X breached transparency rules, including the “deceptive design” of its blue checkmark system. This system allowed anyone to pay for a verified badge without undergoing meaningful verification, exposing users to scams and impersonation .
X also failed to be sufficiently transparent about its advertising practices and did not provide researchers with adequate access to public data. These infractions compromised the platform’s ability to tackle illegal content and misinformation .
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized that the fine is about transparency, not censorship. She stated that the EU is committed to enforcing its digital laws and ensuring that platforms comply with regulations .
US Vice President JD Vance criticized the EU’s move, saying that the EU should support free speech rather than attacking American companies. Elon Musk responded to Vance’s post, expressing appreciation .
X has been given 60 to 90 working days to comply with the EU’s requirements and propose measures to address the issues. Failure to comply may result in additional penalties
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