Brussels: Elon Musk has strongly opposed a major fine issued by the European Union to his social media platform X formerly Twitter after the EU ruled that the company violated parts of the Digital Services Act. The fine which amounts to about 120 million euros or nearly 140 million dollars is the first major enforcement action under the law aimed at regulating large online platforms.
European regulators said X failed to provide clear information on advertisements misled users with the paid blue check verification system and limited access to data needed by researchers. According to the European Commission these actions broke rules designed to make major online platforms more transparent and responsible.
X has been given 60 days to submit a plan explaining how it will comply with the rules and 90 days to make changes. If the company fails to do so the EU could impose more penalties.
Elon Musk reacted sharply calling the fine unfair and suggesting the EU is blocking freedom of speech. After the decision X briefly restricted the European Commission’s advertising account in what appeared to be a symbolic pushback.
The fine has also become a political issue with some US leaders criticizing the EU decision. They argue that the new digital law is being used to target American technology companies.
So far no official record shows that Musk or X has filed a lawsuit against the European Union although Musk has publicly said that he intends to fight the ruling. Legal experts say any court challenge could set an important precedent for how future digital rules are enforced.
The case continues to draw international attention as governments and technology companies debate how much control regulators should have over social media platforms.