Nikita Bier, Head of Product at X, has strongly criticized the European Union Commission after the platform was fined €120 million. The penalty marks the EU’s first enforcement action under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Commission said the paid blue checkmark system on X misleads users and exposes them to impersonation and scams.
According to the EU, the verification feature creates confusion about which accounts are authentic. The Commission also found problems with X’s advertising repository, saying it did not meet transparency and accessibility requirements. X has been told to fix the blue checkmark issues within 60 days and improve ad transparency within 90 days. Failure to comply could result in additional fines.
Shortly after the announcement, X owner Elon Musk reacted on the platform, calling the decision “bullshit” and questioning the future of the EU. His comments drew widespread attention.
In a separate move, X appears to have taken action against the European Commission’s account. The company said this action was not linked to the fine but was instead due to the Commission’s use of X’s advertising tools. In a detailed response, Bier said the EU had accessed an inactive ad account and exploited a flaw in the Ad Composer tool.
He claimed the Commission published a link that looked like a video, which boosted engagement unfairly. Because of this, Bier said X terminates the Commission’s ad account. He added that the platform believes in equal treatment for all users and accused the Commission of ignoring those rules. Bier later explained that the flaw had never been used in this way before and that the issue was now fixed.
An EU spokesperson told TechCrunch that the Commission only used tools that X provided. The spokesperson said these tools should follow the platform’s rules and European legislation. They also noted that the Commission stopped paid advertising on X in October 2023, and the pause is still in effect.
As the dispute continues, observers are watching how X will respond to the DSA demands. For now, the tension has escalated as X terminates the Commission’s ad account and challenges the EU’s claims. The situation highlights growing pressure between tech platforms and European regulators, especially as X terminates accounts it says violate platform rules.
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