Elon Musk’s X faces US$1b fine as Europe cracks down on disinformation

WorldTechnology
4 Apr 2025 • 2:07 PM MYT
Malay Mail
Malay Mail

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BRUSSELS, April 4 — European Union regulators are preparing to fine Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, for violating a landmark law on illicit content and disinformation.

According to the New York Times, the penalties, expected to exceed US$1 billion (RM4.5 billion), will include fines and demands for product changes under the Digital Services Act.

“We have always enforced and will continue to enforce our laws fairly and without discrimination toward all companies operating in the EU,” a European Commission spokesman said.

EU officials insist the investigation into X is independent of recent US-EU tensions over trade and tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

X also faces a separate EU probe over allegations that its lax content moderation has fostered hate speech and disinformation across Europe.

After the publication of the report, X called the enforcement action “an unprecedented act of political censorship and an attack on free speech.”

Musk has vowed to challenge any penalties in court, setting up a legal battle that could have major implications for tech regulation.

The EU is also preparing penalties against Meta and Apple for violations of the Digital Markets Act, reinforcing its aggressive stance on regulating US tech giants.

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