The European Union has fined Elon Musk’s X €120 million for violating transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, marking the bloc’s first major penalty on platform content issues. EU officials said X used “deceptive design” in its paid verification system, allowing anyone to purchase the blue badge without proper identity checks. Tech chief Henna Virkkunen stated the decision was “about the transparency of X” and “nothing to do with censorship.”
The commission said the platform’s system exposed users to scams and impersonation, and also cited failures in advertising transparency and researcher data access. The fine comes despite warnings from US Vice President JD Vance, who accused the EU of “attacking American companies over garbage,” a claim Musk responded to with “Much appreciated.” EU authorities said the action is part of a broader ongoing investigation into X’s compliance with the DSA.