By reasonably punishing X, Brussels preserves Ukraine | EUROtoday

Sf Europe commonly imposes fines on American tech giants, the fantastic introduced on Friday December 5 is a significant episode within the financial and political struggle between the EU and the United States. The European Commission has in truth imposed a fantastic of 120 million euros on the social community X (previously Twitter), owned by Elon Musk.

The European govt has determined to activate, for the primary time, the repressive side of its new legislative arsenal: the regulation on digital providers, or Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted on the finish of 2022. The DSA supplies for fines of as much as 6% of the corporate’s international turnover within the occasion of repeat offenses or refusal to conform.

According to our info, the workplace of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, would nevertheless have needed to restrict the fantastic, which might have exceeded 200 million euros, in concern of revenge from Donald Trump on the Ukrainian file. Brussels fears a pure and easy abandonment of kyiv by Washington.

The “blue checkmarks” of discord

The European Union’s investigation delivered to mild three main grievances which, in keeping with Brussels, illustrate the drift of the X platform. The first, and undoubtedly essentially the most symbolic, issues the well-known certification system: the blue checkmarks. Formerly a assure of authenticity reserved for public figures and verified establishments, this badge has change into, underneath the Musk period, a client product, accessible to anybody who agrees to subscribe to “X Premium”.

ALSO READ Moderation, algorithm, disinformation: the boss of X France responds to criticismFor the European Commission, this follow is “misleading”: by remodeling an identification verification instrument right into a easy paid comfort, X misled its customers. This confusion encourages the manipulation of opinion and scams, abuses that the DSA’s mission is exactly to fight.

Advertising opacity singled out

The second pillar of the sanction issues the opacity of X’s promoting system. The DSA requires very giant platforms to maintain an open promoting register, permitting anybody to know who funds an commercial, what’s the message broadcast and who’s focused. However, the Commission’s investigation revealed that the database offered by X was riddled with failures.

Access obstacles, inefficient search engine, incomplete information: all the things appears to have been designed to discourage citizen and tutorial surveillance. In brief, in keeping with the EU, X has failed in its obligation of transparency, stopping researchers and NGOs from uncovering disinformation campaigns or potential international interference.ALSO READ Freedom of expression: the authoritarian wave coming from America

This can be the third black level raised by Brussels: the blocking of entry to public information for researchers. By limiting entry to its programming interface (API) and imposing prohibitive costs or dissuasive entry situations, Elon Musk has minimize ties with the scientific group. An perspective deemed unacceptable by the EU, which considers that unbiased analysis is an important democratic safeguard towards the virality of hateful content material.

A powerful political sign

Beyond the quantity of the fantastic – 120 million euros, a sum which can appear insignificant in view of Elon Musk’s private fortune, however which stays vital for the delicate funds of the corporate – it’s the symbolic significance which has moved even the White House. “The EU should defend freedom of expression instead of attacking American companies for bullshit,” thundered American Vice President JD Vance in a message on X welcomed by Elon Musk.

This fantastic is a warning for the entire of Silicon Valley: Brussels intends to implement its DSA, after years of dialogue hoping to realize voluntary compliance. The sanction is available in a context of elevated geopolitical tensions round digital regulation. While the United States, underneath the affect of the Trump administration, commonly criticizes European “interventionism”, Brussels reaffirms its digital sovereignty.

X’s anticipated response

For now, Elon Musk’s response is awaited, nevertheless it mustn’t take lengthy to erupt on his personal platform, in all probability within the type of harsh messages denouncing an assault on “freedom of expression”. This is the billionaire’s ordinary line of protection: presenting all regulation as censorship.

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However, the Commission insists: this isn’t a query of moderating feedback, however of guaranteeing transparency and person safety. By sanctioning deceptive design and opacity, Europe doesn’t choose opinions, however the very construction of the service which conveys them.

With this fantastic of 120 million euros, Europe has simply signaled the top of recess. It stays to be seen whether or not X will select the trail of compliance or that of judicial and political escalation. One factor is for certain: December 5, 2025 shall be remembered because the day Europe offered the invoice to Elon Musk.