EU considers $1B fine against X for breaking online content laws
Elon Musk is preparing for a legal fight against what he calls political censorship from European authorities.
The European Union is reportedly considering a $1 billion fine against Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. The penalty relates to alleged breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The fine could factor in revenue from Musk’s other companies, such as Tesla and SpaceX, according to sources cited by The New York Times.
Under the DSA, companies can be fined up to 6% of their global turnover for failing to combat illegal and harmful online content. EU regulators argue that X has not met transparency obligations and failed to control disinformation and hate speech.
The preliminary findings pointed to multiple violations. These included a lack of data sharing with researchers and insufficient advertising transparency.
In response, X contested the findings. The platform accused the EU of attempting to suppress speech, calling the possible fine ‘an unprecedented act of political censorship.’
Elon Musk has stated he welcomes a public legal battle. He aims to expose what he describes as unfair treatment and threats to free expression in Europe.
Meanwhile, a second EU investigation into X’s moderation practices could result in further penalties.
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