Elon Musk slams EU after X hit with major transparency fine

Elon Musk has launched a fierce attack on the European Union (EU) after regulators imposed a hefty fine on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), accusing of unfairly targeting him and US tech companies. 

In a series of posts on X, Musk said the decision was “insane,” adding that the penalty applied not only to the platform but to him personally. 

He hinted that his response would be directed at the officials behind the ruling rather than the EU as a whole. Musk escalated his remarks further by declaring, “The EU should be abolished.”

The backlash comes after the European Commission fined X €120 million for violating transparency rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). 

Regulators cited three major breaches: misleading design around the blue checkmark feature, insufficient transparency in the platform’s advertising repository, and failure to provide researchers with adequate access to public data.

The EU argued that X’s paid blue checkmark system exposes users to scams and impersonation attempts by blurring the meaning of verified accounts.

The dispute has triggered political reactions in the United States as well. 

Several US officials condemned the EU’s move as a blow to free speech, while President Donald Trump warned he could impose tariffs on the EU if penalties against American tech firms continue.