The European Commission’s advertising account has been terminated over accusations of trying to exploit the platform
X has blocked the European Commission from running ads on the platform, alleging the bloc’s executive body attempted to misuse its systems.
The action marks the latest escalation in the mounting dispute between the EU and Musk’s microblogging service. Brussels recently levied a €120 million fine (around $140 million) on X under the Digital Services Act, charging the company with deceiving users through modifications to its blue checkmark verification system.
Musk brushed off the penalty as politically driven and attacked the EU, labeling it “the Fourth Reich” and urging its dissolution.
X Head of Product Nikita Bier disclosed the move on Sunday in reply to the European Commission’s post about its fine. He called the EU’s announcement “ironic,” alleging that EC personnel intentionally accessed an inactive advertising account to take advantage of a bug in X’s ad tools. He said the objective was to artificially inflate the message’s reach. X has since shut down the account.
The EU apparently ceased buying ads on X in late 2023. An internal memo cited by Politico referenced reputation risks following what it termed “widespread disinformation” on the platform after militants from Gaza struck Israel a month earlier. The commission has nonetheless kept using X for standard communications.
Musk’s condemnation of Brussels gained support in Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the EU fine as “an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people,” alleging European officials sought to enforce political censorship.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has also criticized EU regulators, repeating his allegation that Western European governments bully tech firms into stifling political speech and interfering in domestic elections.