Social media company X has fired back at the European Union Commission following a €120 million fine, the first issued under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission cited the platform’s paid blue check verification system as “deceptive,” claiming it exposed users to impersonation and scams.
Read More: Elon Musk’s X rolls out “About this account” feature
The EU also found X’s advertising repository failed to meet transparency and accessibility standards. The company has 60 days to address the blue checkmark concerns and 90 days to fix ad transparency violations, or face further penalties.
X owner Elon Musk criticized the fine on social media, calling it “bullshit” and questioning the EU’s relevance. Meanwhile, X penalized the Commission’s account on the platform, which the company claims was unrelated to the fine and instead linked to the Commission’s use of X’s ad system.
The EU just fined X €120 million because paid blue checks “might confuse people.”
Translation: Brussels is punishing an American company for daring to let users support the platform they use.
Europe’s new business model: regulate US tech until it pays tribute.
Hard not to see… https://t.co/2fe8MlLftU
— SophieZX (@Z_XSophie) December 5, 2025
X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, accused the Commission of exploiting a flaw in X’s Ad Composer tool. According to Bier, this allowed the Commission to post a link that appeared as a video, artificially boosting its reach. Bier stated, “As you may be aware, X believes everyone should have an equal voice on our platform. However, it seems you believe that the rules should not apply to your account,” leading to the termination of the Commission’s ad account. Bier added that the exploit had never been misused in this way and has since been resolved.
An EU spokesperson said the Commission was simply using available platform tools and emphasized that corporate accounts must comply with both platform rules and EU legislation. The spokesperson noted that the EU had discontinued paid advertising on X in October 2023, and the suspension remains in effect.
Read More: Shahid Kapoor reacts to losing Twitter blue tick
The dispute highlights growing tensions between tech companies and regulators in Europe, as platforms navigate compliance with the DSA while maintaining operational control over their systems.