Elon Musk is not taking the massive fine by the European Commission (EC) lying down. Reportedly, X’s Head of Product Nikita Bier fired back at the European Commission this weekend after the EC fined the social media company €120 million (around $140 million).
Twitter, rebranded as X in 2023 under Elon Musk’s ownership, is a social media platform known for its real-time sharing of short messages, or “tweets,” along with photos, videos, and links. Over the years, it has become influential in politics, media, entertainment, and business, serving as both a personal communication tool and a global information source.
Since the rebranding, X has aimed to expand beyond microblogging into a broader social media platform by incorporating payments, media, and additional social features, while continuing to face debates over content moderation, platform policies, and user verification. Despite these challenges, X remains one of the most widely recognized social media platforms globally, with a significant international user base.
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Reportedly, in its first fine under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, the commission called X’s blue checkmark system “deceptive” and said the paid verification system makes users vulnerable to impersonation and scams. The commission also said X’s advertising repository failed to meet the DSA’s requirements for transparency and accessibility.
In what appears to be a retaliation, X leadership made the decision to terminate the EC’s X account in what can only be called malicious compliance.
Reportedly, quoting the commission’s post announcing the fine, X’s Bier accused the EC of logging into a “dormant ad account to take advantage of an exploit in our Ad Composer — to post a link that deceives users into thinking it’s a video and to artificially increase its reach.”
“As you may be aware, X believes everyone should have an equal voice on our platform,” Bier wrote. “However, it seems you believe that the rules should not apply to your account.”
A European Commission spokesperson told TechCrunch that the commission “always uses all social media platforms in good faith.”
“The Commission is simply using the tools that platforms themselves are making available to our corporate accounts — this was the case with the ‘Post Composer’ tool in X,” the spokesperson said. “We expect these tools to be fully in line with the platforms’ own terms and conditions, as well as with our legislative framework.”
Reportedly, the spokesperson added that the commission suspended paid advertising on X in October 2023, and that suspension remains in effect.
The recent clash between X and the European Commission highlights the growing tension between global social media platforms and regulatory authorities. The EC’s €120 million fine under the Digital Services Act underscores the EU’s focus on transparency, user safety, and accountability, particularly regarding verification systems and advertising practices.
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X’s decision to terminate the commission’s account illustrates how corporate responses can escalate conflicts, especially when platform governance intersects with regulatory oversight. Both sides emphasize adherence to their own rules: the EC maintains that it used available platform tools in good faith, while X insists that all accounts must follow the same standards.
This incident reflects broader challenges in balancing innovation, user engagement, and compliance within rapidly evolving digital environments. It also underscores the symbolic and practical stakes of regulatory enforcement in 2025, signaling that social media companies must carefully navigate legal obligations, platform policies, and public perception in order to operate responsibly on a global scale. The long-term consequences of this standoff, including potential reputational or regulatory impacts, remain uncertain.