X has barred the European Commission from running adverts on the platform just days after the European Union fined Elon Musk’s company €120 million over what it called a “deceptive” blue tick system.
Nikita Bier, a senior figure at X, said the Commission had exploited a technical loophole to boost visibility on its post announcing the penalty. He confirmed the Commission’s ad account had been terminated, stating
It seems you believe the rules should not apply to your account.
Brussels rejected the accusation, saying it “always uses all social media platforms in good faith.” The fine was the first issued under the EU’s Digital Services Act, with regulators warning that X’s blue checkmarks mislead users and increase the risk of scams.
The Commission also accused the platform of lacking ad transparency and withholding public data from researchers. X now has 60 days to address the concerns or face further sanctions.
After the penalty, Elon Musk responded on X, saying the EU “should be abolished.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the FCC accused Brussels of censoring American companies, declaring that “the days of censoring Americans online are over.”
The dispute began when Bier claimed the Commission used a rarely activated account and a misleading link styled as a video to artificially inflate reach—something he said had “never been abused like this” before.
EU officials insist they simply used the tools provided by the platform. The standoff adds to a series of global clashes between X and regulators, including previous fines in Brazil and Australia.
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