According to TechCrunch, X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, fired back at the European Commission after it levied a €120 million (about $140 million) fine against the social media platform. This is the first fine under the EU’s Digital Services Act, with the commission calling X’s blue checkmark system “deceptive” and citing failures in its ad transparency repository. The commission gave X 60 days to address the verification concerns and 90 days for the ad transparency issues, or face more penalties. In response, owner Elon Musk called the fine “bullshit” and posted about abolishing the EU. Now, X has terminated the European Commission’s advertising account on its platform, with Bier accusing the EC of logging into a dormant ad account to exploit a bug in X’s “Ad Composer” to boost a post about the fine. The commission’s main account and the post announcing the fine, however, remain active.
The Petty War Escalates
Here’s the thing: this is way beyond a standard regulatory spat. It’s personal and incredibly petty. The European Commission uses its official account to announce a massive, precedent-setting fine. Musk responds with profanity-laden tweets and calls for the EU’s abolition. Then, a product exec gets involved, claiming the commission used an “exploit” to post a link that “deceives users into thinking it’s a video.” So they nuke the EC’s ad account. Bier’s statement that “X believes everyone should have an equal voice” while punishing a regulator is just dripping with irony. It’s a classic Muskian move: when challenged, attack the challenger directly on your home turf. But this isn’t a rival CEO or a journalist. It’s a major governmental body.
A Costly PR Stunt?
So what does X actually gain from this? Short-term, it rallies the base. Musk’s core supporters love this kind of anti-establishment theater. It fits the “free speech absolutist” vs. “overbearing regulator” narrative perfectly. But long-term? It’s probably a net loss. You’ve just shown every other government and large institution that you’re willing to weaponize platform tools against them during a dispute. Why would any serious organization trust your advertising or partnership tools if they fear arbitrary termination during a disagreement? It makes X look unstable and retaliatory. And let’s be real, that €120 million fine isn’t going away because you turned off their ads. If anything, this stunt likely hardens the EU’s resolve. They now have a fresh, concrete example of the platform acting in bad faith.
The Real Issue: DSA Enforcement
All the drama overshadows the actual substance of the fine, which is a big deal. This is the DSA’s first major financial enforcement action. The EU is making an example of X, stating clearly that its verification system is a problem that enables scams. The ad repository complaint is a technical, but crucial, transparency requirement. These aren’t minor gripes. They’re foundational to the EU’s attempt to rein in Big Tech. By responding with playground antics, X is basically confirming the regulator’s worst fears about its maturity and commitment to compliance. The 60 and 90-day deadlines are still ticking. Musk can post all the angry tweets he wants, but the company will eventually have to change its systems or face even larger penalties. This ad account termination is a sideshow. The main event is compliance, and X doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously.
