Elon Musk Slams EU Over $140 Million Fine on X

European Union regulators fined Elon Musk's social media platform X 120 million euros on Friday for violating the bloc's Digital Services Act.

The penalty equals roughly $140 million and stems from the company's failure to comply with rules on transparency and content moderation.

The European Commission cited three main issues in its decision against X, which Musk bought in 2022 and rebranded from Twitter.

• First, the platform misled users by allowing anyone to buy blue check marks that once signified verified accounts.
• Second, X did not provide adequate transparency about its advertising practices.
• Third, the company blocked researchers from accessing public data needed to study risks like hate speech and misinformation.

Musk responded on X hours after the announcement and called the fine an attack on free speech.

"The 'EU' imposed this crazy fine not just on @X, but also on me personally, which is even more insane!" he wrote in a post that garnered over 21 million views.

The fine marks the first major enforcement action under the DSA against a very large online platform since the law took effect in 2023.

X has 30 days to pay or appeal the decision through the EU courts.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, weighed in on the matter in a post that Musk later quoted.

"The European Commission’s $140 million fine on @X is an abomination," Cruz wrote. "It’s an attack on a great American job creator & it’s an attack on the free speech of every American."

Musk escalated his criticism in subsequent posts and suggested the EU should return power to individual nations.

He also hinted at potential retaliation against specific EU officials involved in the case.

The penalty comes amid ongoing tensions between Musk and EU authorities over content policies on X.

X representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the fine or Musk's statements.