Elon Musk sharply criticized the European Union after the European Commission imposed a fine of 120 million euros on his social media platform, X, for violating transparency rules. He stated that his response would not only be directed at the EU as an institution, but also at specific individuals who, according to him, are responsible for the sanctions, as reported by Politico.

"The 'EU' didn't just impose this insane fine on [X], but even on me personally, which is even more absurd," Musk wrote on the X platform. "Therefore, it seems appropriate to focus our response not only on the EU, but also on the individuals who took this step against me."

The Commission stated that the platform violated obligations arising from the Digital Services Act (DSA), which applies to very large online platforms. According to Brussels, the paid "blue checkmark" system on X is misleading because it no longer indicates verified accounts, but rather paying users. Other concerns relate to the lack of transparency in the advertising database and the insufficient availability of public data for researchers.

The Commission also stated that three entities are behind X: X Holdings Companies, xAI, and Elon Musk, who is "at the very top." According to a spokesperson, the fine is directed at the entire corporate structure.

Musk responded with a harsh statement about "woke commissioners from the EU's Stasi" and warned of a "Streisand effect," where attempts to conceal or suppress information backfire on the original source. However, he did not specify what form his retaliation would take or who it would specifically target.

The fine has sparked strong criticism in Washington. Vice President JD Vance stated that the EU should support freedom of speech, not attack American companies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that this is not just an attack on X, but on all American technology platforms. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau also added his criticism, as did former President Donald Trump's special envoy to the EU, Andrew Puzder, who spoke of "regulatory overreach" by Brussels.

The decision is increasing tensions between the EU and the administration of Donald Trump, who is threatening further tariffs if the EU continues to fine American technology giants.

While the decision was largely welcomed in Europe, some politicians—including Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders—sided with the United States.

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