European Commission Ad Account Disabled on X Following €120 Million Penalty

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  Newsroom

• December 08, 2025

• Newsroom

European Commission Ad Account Disabled on X Following €120 Million Penalty

X has disabled an advertising account belonging to the European Commission after the European Union imposed a €120 million fine on the platform for what regulators described as deceptive practices linked to its blue checkmark system and failures to meet required transparency standards. The action marks an escalation in the ongoing dispute between the company and EU authorities as both sides increase the intensity of their public and regulatory confrontation.

According to reporting from TechCrunch and Tech Buzz the penalty stems from the EU Digital Services Act framework which requires platforms to provide clear labeling and accurate information to users. Regulators argued that X misled consumers by allowing paid blue checkmarks to resemble official verification tags which in their assessment risked confusing the public about the authenticity of accounts.

Following the decision X moved to deactivate the European Commission’s advertising profile. Company leadership stated that the ad account had been dormant for an extended period and accused the Commission of attempting to reactivate and use the account to test sensitive campaign tools during the regulatory investigation. Executives argued that these actions raised additional concerns about the fairness and integrity of the enforcement process.

X must now respond to a series of corrective requirements within strict deadlines. Failure to comply could trigger additional sanctions including larger fines or operational restrictions within the EU market. The ruling prompted a strong public reaction from Elon Musk who criticized the decision and suggested that the EU was applying disproportionate pressure on the platform.

The European Commission has not commented on the deactivation of its advertising account but reiterated that the enforcement process reflects the bloc’s commitment to ensuring transparency and user protection on digital platforms.