Fri, 05 Dec 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 US hits out at EU's 'suffocating regulations' after it fines Elon Musk's X

The European Commission says the social media site is opening its users up to scams and impersonations.

* The EU has fined Elon Musk's social media platform X €120m (£105m) over its blue tick badges, which it says "deceives users" by allowing anyone to pay for verification.
* The European Commission claims that this practice exposes users to scams and manipulation by malicious actors.
* US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have criticized the EU regulator, accusing them of attacking and censoring US firms.
* They claim that the fine is an "attack on all American tech platforms and the American people" and that the EU should be supporting free speech rather than targeting US companies.
* The Commission said X was also failing to provide transparency around its adverts and not giving researchers access to public data.
* The decision means X must tell the Commission how it will bring the allegedly violating measures into compliance with EU laws, or face further fines.
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