Following a €120 million (approximately ¥989 million) fine imposed by the European Union last Friday for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), Elon Musk's social media platform X has taken retaliatory action by disabling the EU Commission's advertising account. This marks the first penalty issued under the DSA since its enactment.

Musk publicly criticized the decision on X, calling the fine "absurd" and claiming the EU had also targeted him personally. "The EU should be abolished," he wrote, vowing to respond not only to the bloc but also to individuals behind the enforcement.

The dispute escalated when X's product lead, Nikita Bier, accused the EU Commission of misusing the platform's ad tools to amplify its penalty announcement. Bier alleged the Commission—which hadn’t used its ad account since 2021—suddenly employed a paid promotional post format for the fine notice, including a "misleading link" that falsely appeared to lead to video content, artificially boosting engagement. (The post did contain an attached video.)

The ad account suspension, while symbolic, holds little practical weight. Given the Commission's alleged inactivity since 2021, the move grants X no leverage in negotiations. Meanwhile, X must pay the fine while reserving the right to appeal and submit a compliance plan within 60 days addressing its "deceptive" blue verification system—or face additional penalties.