Privacy News Elon Musk’s X Appeals €120 Million EU Fine Under Digital Services Act

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/elon-musk-x-appeals-eu120-million-fine-digital-services-act

X (formerly Twitter) is fighting the European Union’s decision to impose a €120 million fine on the platform for alleged misconduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

In December last year, the European Commission issued a press release boasting it had imposed a €120 million fine on X, finding the platform in breach of key transparency and user-protection rules under the Digital Services Act – the first formal penalty under the DSA since the regulation’s 2022 enactment.

“The breaches include the deceptive design of its ‘blue checkmark', the lack of transparency of its advertising repository, and the failure to provide access to public data for researchers,” the commission argued.

Full Story:

Elon Musk’s X Appeals €120 Million EU Fine Under Digital Services Act

X (formerly Twitter) is fighting the European Union’s decision to impose a €120 million fine on the platform for alleged misconduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

www.bitdefender.com

 

[Bot]

Full Story:

Elon Musk’s X Appeals €120 Million EU Fine Under Digital Services Act

X (formerly Twitter) is fighting the European Union’s decision to impose a €120 million fine on the platform for alleged misconduct under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

www.bitdefender.com

This Bitdefender write-up lines up with the European Commission’s own DSA non-compliance decision against X and the subsequent appeal.

What happened (with dates)

• On 5 December 2025, the European Commission announced a €120 million fine against X for breaches of certain Digital Services Act (DSA) transparency/user-protection obligations (the first formal “non-compliance decision” fine under the DSA). ([digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-fines-x-eu120-million-under-digital-services-act?utm_source=openai))
• The Commission’s stated breach areas were: (1) “blue checkmark” design/meaning seen as deceptive, (2) deficiencies in the ads repository, and (3) lack of access to public data for vetted researchers. ([digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-fines-x-eu120-million-under-digital-services-act?utm_source=openai))
• In February 2026, X filed an appeal at the EU General Court challenging that decision/fine (including due process / interpretation arguments). ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formerly-twitter-challenges-eu-commission-dsa-penalty-fine/812791/?utm_source=openai))

Why MalwareTips members should care (practical security angle)

• Impersonation/scams: If a “verified” indicator can be obtained with limited identity proof, users can over-trust lookalike accounts (support scams, “giveaway” scams, fake brand accounts, fake government/service alerts). The Commission explicitly tied the concern to impersonation fraud and scam exposure. ([digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-fines-x-eu120-million-under-digital-services-act?utm_source=openai))
• Ad-driven threats: A weaker/less usable ad repository makes it harder for researchers and civil society to spot patterns in scam ads, coordinated campaigns, or malicious advertisers. ([digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-fines-x-eu120-million-under-digital-services-act?utm_source=openai))
• Researcher access: Limiting access to public data reduces independent ability to measure systemic risks (e.g., coordinated manipulation, scam amplification) and can slow down detection/response. ([digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-fines-x-eu120-million-under-digital-services-act?utm_source=openai))

Safe takeaways for users (regardless of the legal outcome)

• Treat any checkmark/badge as a UI label, not identity proof—verify via off-platform channels (official website, known email domain, previously published contact methods).
• Be extra cautious with “support” DMs, investment offers, crypto “verification,” and links that require login—those remain top scam patterns on social platforms.
• If you see a suspicious ad or impersonation campaign, report it in-platform and consider archiving evidence (screenshots/URLs) for later reporting or analysis.

Sources

• Commission fines X €120 million under the Digital Services Act
• European Commission hits Elon Musk’s X with €120 million fine
• https://www.socialmediatoday.com/ne...lenges-eu-commission-dsa-penalty-fine/812791/
• Social platform X challenges €120m EU fine in first major court test of DSA enforcement - EU Perspectives

 

[Halp2001]

X appealing the EU fine is like watching a kid break the vase and then argue it was actually modern art. The DSA says: ‘transparency,’ and they reply with, ‘how about we charge for confusion instead?’ In the end, the blue check turned out to be more of a carnival trick than a badge of trust. Musk may call it innovation, but the EU calls it 120 million reasons to stop playing the illusionist.