Elon Musk has unleashed a blistering attack on the European Union, calling for the political bloc to be "abolished", after its executive arm slapped his social media platform X with a massive financial penalty.
The $140 Million Penalty and Musk's Fury
The European Commission, the EU's primary executive body, announced on Thursday that it had fined X €120 million (approximately $140 million). The penalty was issued for "breaching its transparency obligations" under the EU's landmark Digital Services Act (DSA).
In response, Musk took to his own platform on Saturday morning, posting: "The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries." He argued this was necessary "so that governments can better represent their people." His barrage of posts continued for hours, questioning "How long before the EU is gone?" and claiming Europe was "sleep-walking into oblivion."
Musk later clarified that he "loved" the European continent but "not the bureaucratic monster that is the EU." He urged European citizens to "withdraw from the EU to regain their sovereignty," emphatically adding, "I mean it. Not kidding."
Why X Was Fined: Deceptive Design and Lack of Transparency
The European Commission detailed three key areas of non-compliance leading to the substantial fine. Firstly, it cited the platform's "deceptive design" of its blue verification checkmark. The commission found X was selling "verified" status without "meaningfully verifying" account holders, making it harder for users to judge authenticity and increasing vulnerability to scams.
Secondly, X's advertising repository was found to lack the required transparency. Researchers and users were denied "critical information" about ads, including their full content, topic, and who paid for them.
Finally, the commission ruled that X had prohibited researchers from accessing its public data. This creates "unnecessary barriers" and "undermines research into several systemic risks" within the EU.
US Political Backing and Ongoing Investigations
Figures from the Trump administration swiftly rallied to Musk's defence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the fine, calling it an "attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments." Senator Ted Cruz labelled the penalty an "abomination" and an attack on free speech, urging former President Donald Trump to "impose SANCTIONS until this travesty is reversed."
Vice President JD Vance had previously criticised the EU's move, suggesting the commission should "be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage."
The commission noted that a separate investigation into X, linked to illegal content and information manipulation, remains ongoing. X now has roughly three months to inform the EU of the measures it will take to correct the cited infringements.
The platform currently has about 102 million monthly users in the EU, with France and Spain being its largest markets in the bloc. This is not Musk's first major regulatory clash abroad; last year, X was temporarily shut down in Brazil after refusing to comply with local court orders.
