The European Commission recently fined Elon Musk‘s X for €120 million ($140 million), under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Musk’s response? Call for an abolition of the European Union.
On Dec. 5, X was found to have violated the Digital Services Act following a two-year investigation into the app’s blue tick. It’s claimed X uses a “deceptive design” for its blue-checkmark verification. Previously a sign of authenticity, it is now sold for a fixed monthly fee, raising questions about the authenticity of accounts.
The second violation relates to accusations that X is promoting financial scams. The Commission also ruled that X failed to provide researchers with data on views and likes, despite this being an obligation under the DSA. (via Euro News) Musk responded to the fines on X, calling them “crazy.” He wrote:
The “EU” imposed this crazy fine not just on @X, but also on me personally, which is even more insane! Therefore, it would seem appropriate to apply our response not just to the EU, but also to the individuals who took this action against me.
Musk calls for the abolition of the EU, calling it a bureaucracy
Soon after Musk’s post, Trump’s administration began backing him. Secretary Marco Rubio called it “an attack on all American tech platforms,” while FTC Chairman labeled it “disgraceful.” Musk, on the other hand, took his disagreement with the EU to another level and called for its abolishment:
The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people.
He also shared several posts from people calling the Union “retarded” and alleging that it wants to end free speech. “I don’t care about money,” Musk claimed, “It’s really important to have a source of truth you can count on.” He also posed it as an attack on Donald Trump, saying the personal attack is because he didn’t censor Trump’s account despite the EU’s earlier request.
Doubling down on his pushback against the Union, he claimed that the EU Commission “worships the god of bureaucracy, smothering the people of Europe.”
Downloads for X increased after the fines, according to Musk
Musk’s repeated attacks on the EU didn’t just stop at his calls for its abolishment. He soon began quoting the “Streisand effect,” revealing that X has become the #1 news app in all 27 EU countries after the fines.
He also terminated the EU’s ad account on X, stating that it had exploited a vulnerability in the Ad Composer. “EU paid to promote its announcement on 𝕏 and used a trick that disguised a link as a video so the ad would get extra reach,” Doge Designer announced. Musk continues to push his “abolish the EU” agenda on his X, this time saying it’s not a democracy:
The European Union is not DEMOcracy – rule of the people – but rather BUREAUcracy – rule of the unelected bureaucrat!
While Musk keeps presenting it as a war against free speech, the EU isn’t backing off. The Commission has given a deadline of 60 days to X to propose remedial measures. The ruling also states that the platform has 90 days to comply fully, or risk further penalties. (via Financial Times)
Published: Dec 8, 2025 05:55 am