European Union Fines Elon Musk's X €120 Million for Digital Rule Violations
The European Union has imposed a €120 million fine on Elon Musk's social media platform, X, for breaching transparency rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission accused X of misleadingly authenticating user accounts with blue checkmarks, failing to provide data access to researchers, and not clearly identifying advertisements. The fine is divided into three parts: €45 million for the misuse of verification checkmarks, €35 million for lack of advertising transparency, and €40 million for withholding data from researchers. This is the first such penalty issued by the European Commission since it began its investigations into X in December 2023. The EU's decision has sparked criticism from the U.S. government, with Vice President JD Vance and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr condemning the fine as an attack on American companies. 
