Overview
- The European Commission fined X for what it called a deceptive paid blue check system, insufficient ad transparency, and blocked access to public data for researchers.
- X terminated the Commission’s advertising account, with head of product Nikita Bier alleging an Ad Composer exploit; some reports say the EU post did contain a video, disputing the claim of deception.
- Elon Musk escalated his response by calling for the European Union to be abolished and amplifying posts attacking the bloc’s bureaucracy.
- Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder, criticized the penalty as regulatory overreach targeting American tech firms.
- Musk touted surging X downloads across Europe after the ruling, a claim he posted without underlying data, as the company signals plans to contest the decision while the fine remains in force.