Can we really force platforms to follow our rules? We have powerful legal tools, like the DSA. But it’s also political. It’s part of a broader, complex relationship between Europe and the United States—one that has grown more strained since Donald Trump took office.
Léa Marchal
Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.
EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.
Find the full transcript below:
€120m — that’s the fine the European Union imposed on the social network X last December.
An investigation is still ongoing in Brussels into the platform’s algorithms and its AI tool, Grok.
What is the real impact of European sanctions on X and other platforms?
On Monday (20 April), Elon Musk was expected in Paris by French authorities for a voluntary judicial hearing.
He was supposed to explain several issues: the proliferation of negationist messages generated by Grok, and the creation of images—some depicting women, including minors—naked, based on real photos.
But Musk, unsurprisingly, did not show up.
A few weeks ago, he even called French magistrates, and I quote, “mentally retarded.”
France isn’t the first to take on X. The UK and Brazil have also launched investigations for similar reasons.
The EU, for its part, seized the issue in 2023 under its Digital Services Act (DSA).
The first tangible result is : a 120m euros fine, which Musk has appealed.
€120m represents two to four percent of X’s annual revenue, estimated at €2 to 4bn.
The EU could have gone as high as six percent.
What does the EU accuse X of?
Lack of transparency in its advertising system; misleading practices with the blue checkmark verification; and denying researchers access to public data.
Other issues remain under investigation: algorithm manipulation for political interference and the generation of sexualized images.
Do these European investigations actually change Musk’s behaviour?
A little. Not much. That’s the provisional assessment after three years of the DSA.
In recent months, X has changed its blue checkmark rules. Paying is no longer enough — users must now undergo identity verification.
This is the most notable change.
The platform has also pledged to open its data to researchers, but this has yet to happen.
So, can we really force platforms to follow our rules?
We can. We have powerful legal tools, like the DSA.
But it’s also political. It’s part of a broader, complex relationship between Europe and the United States—one that has grown more strained since Donald Trump took office.
The DSA is despised by the US administration. So much so that the U.S. has banned some of its architects, like Frenchman Thierry Breton, from entering the country.
They’re also using coercion: the US won’t lower tariffs on European steel unless the EU eases its digital rules.
As a result, the European Commission is treading carefully. It fines X but moderates the amount — at least, that’s what it’s accused of. It’s also taking its time to close other investigations, especially the one concerning political interference.
What about other platforms targeted by the Commission?
Alongside the DSA, the Commission also imposed fines in 2025 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a companion regulation aimed at ensuring fair competition among major platforms.
Apple was fined €500m, and Meta €200m.
According to the European Consumer Organisation, these sanctions have had some positive effects, though limited.
The question remains: will X cooperate, and will the European Commission stand firm on its rules, no matter the cost?
