The European Union has dismissed Elon Musk’s reaction to a €120 million fine imposed on his social media platform, X, calling his statements “completely crazy”. Musk had slammed the EU, saying it “should be abolished” and sovereignty should be returned to individual countries, following the fine for breaching digital transparency rules.
EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho responded, “It’s part of freedom of speech to put out even completely crazy statements,” downplaying Musk’s outburst. The fine was imposed after X was found guilty of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) by misleading users with its paid verification system, lacking transparency in advertising, and restricting researcher access.
Musk’s response sparked controversy, with US officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticizing the EU’s move as an “attack on all American tech platforms and the American people”. The US Trade Representative’s office has threatened countermeasures against EU service providers, citing “discriminatory” actions.
