The European Commission fined the X platform. A decisive reaction from the US Secretary of State
This is the first fine of this type imposed by the EC since the entry into force of the DSA. The European regulator found that X was misleading users, using the so-called “blue tick” verification in a way that deviates from industry standards, does not have a searchable advertising repository and does not provide data for scientific research in accordance with DSA requirements.
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Transparency penalty for platform X. There will be further proceedings
The Commission found that “verified” account status can be obtained by anyone who pays, which affects users' ability to judge the authenticity of content. The EC noted that the penalty applies only to violations related to transparency, and other proceedings regarding information manipulation or moderation of illegal content are ongoing.
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The maximum fine can reach 6 percent the company's annual global turnoverhowever, an EU official emphasized that the amount of the penalty depends on the seriousness of the violations, not on the potential maximum limit.
Elon Musk
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The EC also pointed to previous controversies related to Musk's political activities in Europe, including the broadcast of an interview with Alice Weidel, leader of the German AfD. In the case of TikTok, the ad transparency investigation was successful, with the platform providing comprehensive commitments responding to the EC's comments. However, TikTok's policy on advertising and paid political content in Romania is still under investigation.
Strong reaction of the US Secretary of State to the punishment of Platform X
The EC's decision triggered reactions from the American authorities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assessed that the punishment not only targets Platform X, but also US users and tech companies, emphasizing that “the days of censoring Americans on the Internet are over.”
The European Union is introducing DSA and DMA to make large digital platforms responsible for the content published on their websites, including the fight against disinformation and labeling of political content. Some of the DSA regulations apply from November 2022 and fully applicable from February 2024. The penalty for X is a signal that the EC is starting to enforce the DSA regulations against digital giants, with which disagreements may have both economic and geopolitical consequences.
