EU Slaps X With €120M Fine, X Hits Back by Blocking Its Ad Account

New Delhi: The European Commission’s advertising account on X has been cancelled, marking a sharp escalation in the growing dispute between the EU and Elon Musk’s social media platform. The sudden shutdown came just days after the Commission fined X €120 million for breaking transparency rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

X confirmed the cancellation through a post by its head of product, Nikita Bier. He said the Commission’s ad account was terminated because EU officials allegedly tried to use a loophole in X’s Ad Composer tool. According to Bier, the Commission attempted to format a link so it appeared like a video, which he claimed could mislead users and artificially boost the post’s reach. He argued that this behaviour violated X’s policies and suggested that the EU was not following the same standards it expects from tech companies.

The cancellation immediately raised eyebrows because of its timing. Only a few days earlier, the European Commission had announced a major penalty against X for failing to meet transparency requirements. Regulators said the platform did not provide clear information about its advertising library and changed its blue checkmark system in a way that could confuse users. Under the DSA, large online platforms must be open about how their systems work and must take steps to limit illegal or harmful content.

The Commission has not yet issued a detailed response to the account termination, but the move has added new tension to an already heated situation. The dispute has also drawn attention from the United States, where officials have long criticised the EU’s digital rules.

Some US leaders argue that the DSA and the Digital Markets Act place unfair pressure on American tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Meta, and now X. US Vice President JD Vance accused the EU of punishing X for “not engaging in censorship,” a claim the European Commission strongly rejects.

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