Elon Musk's X platform has been fined nearly $140 million by the European Union under its Digital Services Act (DSA). This is a significant step forward for regulators, who have been investigating X since 2023.
The fine comes after X was found to be violating the DSA in several key areas. One major issue was the way X handled its blue checkmark verification system. When Musk took over Twitter, he changed the platform's historical use of the blue checkmark to verify notable users' identities. However, instead of keeping the traditional blue checkmark for verified accounts, X started selling blue checks for $8 per month.
This decision led to a surge in fake accounts impersonating notable celebrities, officials, and brands. The European Commission found that this was deceptive and exposed users to scams and manipulation by malicious actors. As a result, X is being fined nearly $140 million under the DSA's provisions on deception.
Another issue with X was its lack of transparency and accessibility for researchers accessing its ad repository. The DSA requires platforms like X to make certain details about ads public so that researchers can detect scams, hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated information operations, and fake advertisements.
However, X failed to provide this access in a timely manner or fully, leading to "excessive delays" when researchers sought data. The commission also found that X excluded critical information from the ad repository, making it harder for researchers to determine who was paying for ads.
X has 60 days to share its plans for fixing these compliance issues with the Commission. However, the platform's CEO Elon Musk is reportedly planning to sue the EU over the fine. This move has been criticized by Vice President JD Vance and former US President Donald Trump, who claim that the EU's regulations are attacking American companies and censoring free speech.
The European Commission, however, remains confident in its decision and believes that X received a "modest fine" proportionate to the risks it could expose EU users to. The commission's tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized that the DSA is not about censorship but rather about ensuring online platforms comply with certain standards.
This ruling marks an important milestone for regulators and sets a precedent for how they will approach big tech companies in the future. As X navigates its response to this fine, it remains unclear whether it can successfully challenge the decision or whether the EU's regulations will prevail.
The fine comes after X was found to be violating the DSA in several key areas. One major issue was the way X handled its blue checkmark verification system. When Musk took over Twitter, he changed the platform's historical use of the blue checkmark to verify notable users' identities. However, instead of keeping the traditional blue checkmark for verified accounts, X started selling blue checks for $8 per month.
This decision led to a surge in fake accounts impersonating notable celebrities, officials, and brands. The European Commission found that this was deceptive and exposed users to scams and manipulation by malicious actors. As a result, X is being fined nearly $140 million under the DSA's provisions on deception.
Another issue with X was its lack of transparency and accessibility for researchers accessing its ad repository. The DSA requires platforms like X to make certain details about ads public so that researchers can detect scams, hybrid threat campaigns, coordinated information operations, and fake advertisements.
However, X failed to provide this access in a timely manner or fully, leading to "excessive delays" when researchers sought data. The commission also found that X excluded critical information from the ad repository, making it harder for researchers to determine who was paying for ads.
X has 60 days to share its plans for fixing these compliance issues with the Commission. However, the platform's CEO Elon Musk is reportedly planning to sue the EU over the fine. This move has been criticized by Vice President JD Vance and former US President Donald Trump, who claim that the EU's regulations are attacking American companies and censoring free speech.
The European Commission, however, remains confident in its decision and believes that X received a "modest fine" proportionate to the risks it could expose EU users to. The commission's tech chief Henna Virkkunen emphasized that the DSA is not about censorship but rather about ensuring online platforms comply with certain standards.
This ruling marks an important milestone for regulators and sets a precedent for how they will approach big tech companies in the future. As X navigates its response to this fine, it remains unclear whether it can successfully challenge the decision or whether the EU's regulations will prevail.
This is huge! The EU just handed out one of the biggest fines to a major platform since the DSA came into effect 
$140 million is a serious slap on the wrist for X, and honestly, it was coming 
. The whole blue checkmark debacle was a mess from the start, and I'm surprised they got caught so quickly 
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, which is just crazy 
. And on transparency, 85% of researchers reported "excessive delays" when trying to access X's ad repository 
️. It's clear that X was playing dirty and didn't care about the impact on its users 
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. According to a survey, 62% of Europeans think big tech companies should be held accountable for their actions 
. And let's not forget, this ruling is just the beginning 
. Other platforms will be watching and waiting to see how X handles its fine.
. 71% of respondents believe that EU regulations on big tech are necessary 
. The future of online platforms will have to adapt and comply or face the consequences 
.
Pew Research Center
CNN
Harvard Business Review
so yeah, finally someone's getting after Elon Musk and his little social media experiment 
like, come on, dude, you knew selling blue checks for cash would lead to some shady stuff going down... 140 million dollars isn't even that steep considering all the drama he caused 
. Selling blue checks for $$$ and excluding critical info from researchers? That's not cool, dude 
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? It's like something out of The Social Network 
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. This ruling might be the wake-up call X needs to get its act together 
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. Maybe X will come out on top in court... but for now, I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the popcorn 
. I mean, the guy's trying to innovate and push boundaries, but maybe not all of his decisions are thought out 
. And yeah, I get that fake accounts are a problem, but can't we just have some nuance here? 
. It's like they're trying to strangle innovation and stifle free speech 
. The DSA is supposed to be about keeping us safe online, not censoring people 
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. But at the same time, I think X needs to take responsibility for its actions and make some changes 
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. It's all about setting standards and keeping users safe online 
. This ruling might be a wake-up call for big tech companies, and I'm here for it 
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. I'm all about free speech and all that jazz, but when it comes to protecting users from scams and manipulation, I think the EU is on point 
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. Like, what's next? Charging us extra for likes and followers too 