US backs Elon Musk's bid to overturn €120m EU fine against X
The EU had said X "deceives users" by selling blue ticks without "meaningfully verifying" accounts.
In December 2025, the European Commission imposed a €120 million fine on X for allegedly deceiving users with its blue tick badges. These badges, which indicate verified accounts, were said to be unverifiable, misleading users. US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate argued that the EU's move was inappropriate, as it attempted to regulate a non-EU company.
The DOJ filed an application with the EU's General Court to support Musk and X's efforts to dismiss the case, arguing that the US has a legitimate interest in ensuring the consistent application of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and preventing potential harm to US-headquartered digital services. The European Commission denied targeting specific nationalities but maintained that the decision aimed to uphold digital and democratic standards.
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