EU hits Musk’s X with $140m fine for ‘deceptive’ blue tick, ad transparency

Al JazeeraCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesDecember 5, 2025 at 09:20 PM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

In December 2025, the European Union fined Elon Musk's social media platform X 120 million euros ($140m) for violating the Digital Services Act. The EU found X guilty of deceptive practices related to its blue checkmark system, lack of advertising transparency, and restricted data access for researchers. The fine, the first major penalty under the DSA, has sparked a transatlantic dispute, with US officials accusing the EU of unfairly targeting American tech companies. The EU's investigation, which lasted two years, resulted in individual fines for each violation: 45 million euros for the blue checkmark system, 35 million euros for advertising transparency, and 40 million euros for data access restrictions. The decision risks escalating trade tensions between the EU and the US.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States ×250% X (social media platform) ×460% European Union ×270% Elon Musk ×480%

Keywords

digital transparency 90% x 90% digital services act 80% eu 80% social media regulation 70% elon musk 70% blue checkmark 70% advertising transparency 60% tech regulation 60% data access 50%