US-EU Clash: Massive Fine on X Ignites Tensions Between Washington and Brussels

In a fresh escalation between American tech giants and European regulators, the European Union has imposed a financial penalty of €120 million (approximately £105 million) on the X platform, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The primary catalyst for this penalty is the controversial "blue check" system. The European Commission deemed the feature "deceptive" to users, as it is granted in exchange for a subscription fee without meaningful identity verification, thereby opening the door wide to fraud and impersonation.

The European decision did not go unnoticed in Washington; rather, it was met with a furious response from high-ranking American officials. Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), launched a scathing attack, accusing Europe of imposing "taxes on Americans to subsidize a continent held back by its own suffocating regulations." These sentiments echoed the stance of US Vice President JD Vance, who sharply criticized the EU. He argued that the platform was being punished for its refusal to engage in "censorship," asserting that Europe should support free speech rather than attacking American companies.

For her part, Henna Virkkunen, the Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty at the European Commission, emphasized that the decision aims to hold X accountable for undermining user rights and evading responsibility by obscuring advertising data and denying researchers access to public information. This action marks the first substantial enforcement of penalties under the European Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates strict standards for transparency and consumer protection.