Uncle Sam wants in on Musk's €120M fight with Brussels
Justice Department claims the EU overreached by pursuing X's owner and wider corporate empire
The US government has expressed interest in supporting Elon Musk and X in their legal dispute over a €120 million fine imposed by the European Commission. The Commission issued the first fine under the Digital Services Act in December 2025, citing X's breaches of transparency rules. Musk criticized the Commission's decision, comparing it to Stasi commissars.
FCC chair Brendan Carr accused Europe of penalizing a successful US tech company for merely being successful. US politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz, denounced the fine as an attack on American free speech. The US Justice Department has joined the legal challenge, expressing concerns over the Commission's regulatory overreach and the implications for American-owned digital platforms in the EU.
The department argues that the fine may set a precedent with broader consequences for US tech companies operating in the region.
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