On December 5, 2025, the European Commission slapped X with a 120 million € fine under the Digital Services Act (DSA) for missing key transparency targets. 😮
In a series of fiery posts on X on December 6, Elon Musk went on the offensive, calling the fine "crazy" and even suggesting the EU "should be abolished." He warned he would respond not just to the bloc itself, but to the officials who greenlit the penalty.
What did the EU flag? Three main issues:
- Deceptive "blue tick": Users paying for verification can end up facing scams and impersonation.
- Ad transparency gaps: The ad archive did not meet visibility requirements.
- Data access limits: Researchers could not dive into public data as they should.
Across the pond, U.S. officials are backing Musk, framing the fine as a free speech issue and warning of unfair targeting of U.S. tech. Former President Donald Trump even threatened extra tariffs if the EU keeps penalizing big American platforms.
This clash highlights the global tug-of-war over tech rules and platform power. For young pros in South Asia and Southeast Asia, it is another sign that how platforms operate can ripple around the world. Stay tuned for more updates! 🤔💥
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
