US backs Elon Musk's bid to overturn €120m EU fine against X

The United States government has joined Elon Musk's legal effort to challenge a €120 million fine imposed by the European Union on the social media platform X. In December 2025, the European Commission stated that the platform deceived users by allowing payments for blue tick badges without properly verifying the identity of the account holders.

However, US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate argued that the commission had improperly sought to extend its authority to American companies beyond its jurisdiction. Musk, who previously supported Republican candidates, has long criticized EU tech regulations as hindering corporate progress. The US Department of Justice filed an application with the EU's General Court, asserting it has a vested interest in ensuring consistent application of the court's decisions under the Statute of the Court of Justice of the EU.

The DOJ aims to prevent any potential prejudice to US-based digital services that contribute significantly to the US economy. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier stated that the commission is prepared to defend its position in court, citing a solid case based on alleged violations of the Digital Services Act. The fine also resulted from X's failure to provide transparency around advertising and deny researchers access to public data.

EU regulators emphasized that the platform's actions undermine user rights and evade accountability. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission criticized the EU regulator, claiming it was unfairly targeting American firms. The European Commission denied targeting any specific nationality, stating it was protecting its digital and democratic standards.

This marked the commission's first official non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act, one of two mandatory rulebooks governing online platforms in the EU.