EU vows to pursue €120 million fine on X after US backs Musk's court challenge
The European Union on Friday said it will pursue a €120 million fine against the X social network after the US Justice Department said it supported the efforts of X owner Elon Musk to have the case annulled. The bloc fined the platform in 2025 for breaching EU online transparency rules, notably with its pay-to-play blue "verification" checkmark.
The European Union has expressed its willingness to defend its €120 million fine against Elon Musk's X platform, after the United States requested a top court to intervene on Musk's behalf. Musk and X, formerly known as Twitter, are contesting the penalty imposed by Brussels for breaching the bloc's online content rules. The US Justice Department recently filed an application at the EU's second-highest court, supporting Musk and X's attempt to nullify the European Commission's December 2025 decision - the first fine ever issued under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
EU spokesman Thomas Regnier stated that the Commission is well-prepared to defend its position in court, citing a wealth of evidence in its possession. He emphasized that the court remains entirely independent. The fine imposed on X last December was the result of a two-year-long investigation under the DSA, requiring online platforms to enhance their efforts in addressing illegal and harmful content.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's tech chief, deemed X's modest fine proportionate and based on the severity of the infringements, their impact on EU users, and duration.
The Digital Services Act fines can reach a maximum of 6% of a company's annual global revenue.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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