Brussels's regulatory onslaught against X has finally revealed its ideological background. After the European Commission imposed a record fine of 120 million euros, Elon Musk revealed that in 2024 the European Union had formally pressured him to censor content linked to Donald Trump during the U.S. presidential campaign. According to the magnate, the episode was a preview of the offensive that is now materializing in the highest fine imposed under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The sanction is based on technical arguments: alleged failures in moderation, lack of advertising transparency, criticism of the verification system, and questions about "Community Notes." However, for Musk's circle, all of this is merely an excuse. The real conflict is political. They claim that Brussels intends to discipline platforms that do not accept the old paradigm of information control that dominated Europe before Musk's arrival.
One of the most sensitive points of the European accusation is the blue badge or verification system. The Commission keeps that its paid nature "confuses" users, while X responds that it eliminated an elitist system that arbitrarily distinguished who could be verified and who could not. The discussion is symptomatic: what Brussels calls "order," Musk sees as a tool of covert censorship.
