EU Slaps Elon Musk's X With $140 Million Fine, Rubio Calls It 'Attack On American People'

Last Updated:December 05, 2025, 22:48 IST

The European Commission fined X 120 million euros for violating the Digital Services Act, sparking criticism from US officials like Marco Rubio and Brendan Carr.

Elon Musk; Marco Rubio (R) (Image: X)

The European Commission has imposed a fine of 120 million euros ($140 million) on Elon Musk’s social media platform X for violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the first sanction under landmark legislation that once again drew criticism from the US government.

The decision comes amid Europe’s broader push to rein in Big Tech and ensure fair competition, a campaign that has drawn repeated criticism from the US government, which accuses the EU of singling out American companies and restricting the speech of US citizens.

Following the judgement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly defended Musk’s company. Rubio slammed the European Commission, calling the move “an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments."

“The European Commission’s $140 million fine isn’t just an attack on @X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments. The days of censoring Americans online are over," he tweeted.

However, the European Commission, the EU’s executive, maintains that its laws target harmful practices, not nationalities, and are designed to safeguard digital and democratic standards.

‘If You Comply With Our Rules, You Don’t Get Fine’: EU Defends Penalty

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen defended the penalty, calling it proportionate to the severity and duration of X’s violations. Virkkunen stressed that the DSA is about enforcing accountability, not censorship, and noted that future decisions involving other companies charged under the Act are likely to be completed more quickly.

“We are not here to impose the highest fines. We are here to make sure that our digital legislation is enforced and if you comply with our rules, you don’t get the fine. And it’s as simple as that," she told Reuters.

According to EU regulators, X’s breaches included the deceptive design of its blue-check verification system, insufficient transparency in its advertising repository, and its refusal to provide researchers with access to public platform data.

The fine triggered strong backlash from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr also, who accused Europe of penalizing X simply for its success. Before the ruling, US Vice President JD Vance had also criticised the EU, claiming it sought to punish the platform for “not engaging in censorship."

While X has now been fined, investigations into its handling of illegal content and information manipulation continue. Regulators are also pursuing a separate probe into TikTok’s design choices, algorithmic practices, and child-safety measures. Under the DSA, penalties can reach up to 6 per cent of a company’s global annual revenue, signalling the seriousness with which the EU intends to enforce the law.

News world EU Slaps Elon Musk's X With $140 Million Fine, Rubio Calls It 'Attack On American People'

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