DSA: Brussels hits X with a record €120 million fine

First major judicial application of the DSA: the European Commission sanctions X for deceptive practices, advertising opacity, and obstruction of research. A decision that comes after two years of investigations and reignites transatlantic tensions over platform regulation.

The European Commission has ruled: X receives the very first sanction issued under the Digital Services Act. The European executive is imposing a €120 million fine on Elon Musk’s social network, following an investigation opened at the end of 2023. In the spotlight: the transformation of the “blue check” system, deemed misleading and conducive to identity theft, the persistent absence of a compliant advertising register, and the obstacles imposed on researchers’ access to the platform’s data.
X now has 60 to 90 days to correct course depending on the violations.

This highly political decision comes as Washington multiplies verbal attacks against European regulation of tech giants. U.S. Vice President JD Vance denounced “censorship,” while Brussels says it simply wants to show that the DSA is not a paper tiger. The most sensitive cases — dissemination of illegal content and information manipulation — remain under investigation.