Tech tycoon Elon Musk escalated his confrontation with European regulators on Saturday, telling his 230 million followers on his platform, X, that the European Union (EU) should be “abolished,” following a massive fine imposed on his company.
The social media platform was slapped with a €120 million ($140 million) penalty on Friday by the European Commission for violating the bloc’s stringent Digital Services Act (DSA) rules concerning content and transparency.
Musk’s Strong Response
Musk responded directly to the fine by posting a highly contentious statement on X:
“The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people.”
When a user reposted his comment, Musk doubled down, asserting, “I mean it. Not kidding.” He followed up with a clarification: “I love Europe, but not the bureaucratic monster that is the EU.”
The penalty marks the first major fine imposed by the European Commission under the DSA on content-related violations, signaling the EU’s resolve to strictly police Big Tech platforms operating within its member states.
Violations of the Digital Services Act
The European Commission found X guilty of breaching the DSA’s transparency obligations in several key areas:
- Blue Checkmark Deception: X was cited for the deceptive design of its “blue checkmark” verification system, which the Commission stated misled users about the authenticity of supposedly verified accounts.
- Data Access Failure: The platform failed to provide access to public data for independent researchers, a key requirement of the DSA.
- Advertising Transparency: The Commission also cited X for failing to be sufficiently transparent about its advertising practices.
The heavy fine was quickly criticized by some US politicians, including members of the Donald Trump administration, who labeled the EU’s action as an “Attack On US Firms.” However, the EU maintains that the DSA is essential for creating a safer, more transparent online environment for its citizens.