The European Union says it is prepared to defend a €120 million penalty against Elon Musk’s X after the United States asked a top EU court to support the platform’s challenge.
Mr Musk and X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, are seeking to overturn the fine imposed by Brussels for breaching the bloc’s digital content regulations.
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The US Justice Department said yesterday that it had applied to intervene at the EU’s second-highest court in support of X and Mr Musk. The filing backs their effort to annul the European Commission’s December 2025 ruling, which marked the first fine issued under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
“We have a very solid case that we have advanced, indeed, with a €120 million fine… and the commission is, of course, absolutely ready to defend its position in court,” EU spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters.
The sanction followed a two-year investigation conducted under the DSA, legislation that requires online platforms to take stronger action against illegal and harmful material.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen has defended the size of the penalty, saying it was proportionate and reflected the nature and seriousness of the violations, the number of EU users affected and how long they continued.
Under the DSA, fines can reach as much as 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.
