The EU has imposed a €120 million (£105 million) fine on Elon Musk's social media platform X due to its blue tick verification system. The European Commission stated that by allowing users to pay for verification, the platform misleads its audience, leading to potential impersonation scams and other fraudulent activities.
In response to the EU's actions, key U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, slammed the regulators for their aggressive stance, labelling it as an affront to American technological innovation. Rubio expressed that this fine is not merely targeted at X but represents a broader effort by foreign governments to undermine American tech interests.
Rubio's remarks were echoed by Musk, who agreed with the assertion of censorship. FCC chair Carr criticized the EU for imposing regulations that, in his view, unfairly penalize successful American tech companies, asserting that such interference burdens European markets at the U.S.'s expense.
Analysts believe this situation marks the EU's determination to enforce its regulatory framework, particularly its Digital Services Act (DSA), which oversees tech firms' operations in Europe. The Commission expressed that X must rectify its business practices to comply with EU laws or face additional penalties.
The controversy also draws attention to Musk's revised verification system, implemented after his acquisition of Twitter, which shifted from traditional identification verification to a subscription model. Critics argue that this change has opened doors for impersonation and misinformation on the platform.
