U.S. Government Seeks to Back Elon Musk’s X in the EU Fine Appeal

The U.S. government is seeking to back Elon Musk’s X in its EU fine appeal. X is seeking to overturn a €120 million (about $140 million) fine imposed in December 2025 over its use of blue verified ticks. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an application with the EU’s General Court in support of X’s bid to dismiss the case. 

Why is the U.S. Backing Elon Musk’s X Appeal? 

In its application to back Elon Musk’s X appeal, the DOJ argued that under the Statute of the Court of Justice of the EU, a state can intervene in disputes before the court if it "can establish an interest in the result of the case to the court.”

According to the DOJ, the U.S. has an interest in ensuring that any decision made by the Commission aligns with the interpretation of territorial jurisdiction under international law. By participating in the case, the government also wants to ensure that the decision does not favor other U.S.-based digital services that significantly contribute to its economy. 

On September 25, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said the European Commission had “inappropriately attempted” to extend its authority over American companies beyond its jurisdiction. EU’s fine on X has become a major source of tension, straining the relationship between Europe and the U.S.

Why Did the EU Fine Elon Musk’s X Platform? 

The EU fined X for allegedly misleading users by charging for the blue verified check mark. The European Commission accused the social media platform of deceiving users by charging for the blue verified mark that doesn’t meaningfully verify account holders’ identities. 

EU regulators also accused X of lacking transparency in its advertising practices and restricting researchers’ access to publicly available data. At the time of imposing the fine, regulators said the EU was “holding X responsible for undermining users’ rights and evading accountability.”

"Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads, and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU," European Commission’s Executive VP for Tech Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen said, as per BBC. 

The fine on X attracted reactions from government officials, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accusing the EU of attacking and censoring U.S. big techs. 

The EU Maintains It Has a Solid Case 

As Musk prepares to challenge the EU fine, the Commission has maintained that it has a solid case against X over its alleged breach of the Digital Services Act. 

“They are carrying out, of course, the hearing and the ruling, but I can tell you from our side that we have a very solid case that we have advanced indeed with the €120 million fine against X last year in December,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said, as per BBC. 

The fine on X was the Commission’s first formal non-compliance decision under the DSA, which is one of two key laws governing online platforms in the regional bloc.