The European Commission has fined Elon Musk’s X €120mn for breaking the European Union’s (EU) digital transparency rules, in a move that risks escalating tensions with the US government.

Brussels on Friday said the social media platform breached its regulations for transparency, insufficient access to data and deceptive design relating to its blue ticks for verified accounts.

The fine is the first sanction under the bloc’s Digital Services Act, a set of rules for large online players to police their platforms more aggressively. - Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025