On 5 December 2025, the European Commission imposed a fine of €120 million on X (formerly Twitter) under the Digital Services Act. The decision was justified by multiple alleged DSA breaches, including misleading design of “blue check” features, insufficient transparency in the ads archive, and inadequate data access for research. X sharply criticized the decision. Arno Bausemer, European policy politician of the ESN Group and member of the IMCO Committee, stated:
“This €120 million fine against X is further proof of how the Commission is abusing the Digital Services Act as a political instrument of power. The DSA is a censorship tool, nothing more and nothing less. Instead of solving real problems, Brussels is wielding the punitive cudgel against a platform because it apparently dislikes the free debate taking place there. Time and again, Elon Musk has also directly criticized the EU. Since—unlike in Germany for an incorrect expression of opinion—they cannot simply kick in his doors, the EU is trying to punish criticism this way.
This is no longer neutral enforcement of the law; it is an attempt at intimidation—paid for with the arrogance of an authority that believes it is entitled to decide what is true and how far something can reach. We say clearly: the internet needs freedom, not EU censorship through the back door. The DSA must be abolished!”
