E.U. hits Musk’s X with $140 million fine over alleged hate speech, misinformation

The European Commission has fined Elon Musk’s social media app X with the equivalent of $140 million, saying that it had breaching bloc’s digital rulebook.

The European Commission said Friday it was fining Elon Musk’s social media app X with the equivalent of $140 million, saying that it had breached the bloc’s digital rulebook — a move that will likely draw the ire of the American government.

The European Commission found that X violated the Digital Services Act, a sweeping 2022 law that requires internet companies to aggressively combat hate speech and misinformation.

The law — one of the most far-reaching attempts to fight problematic material online — mandates that companies set up policies and procedures to remove posts deemed illegal by countries within the 27-country union.

The penalty drew swift condemnation from Vice President JD Vance even before the European Commission announced it.

“Rumors swirling that the E.U. commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage,” Vance said in a post on X on Thursday afternoon.