US Government Backs X’s Challenge Against EU Fine

The US government has asked to join Elon Musk and X’s legal challenge against a 120 million euro fine imposed by the European Commission over the platform’s use of blue verification badges.

The European Commission imposed the fine in December 2025, alleging that X’s paid blue-check system could mislead users because the badges did not meaningfully verify account identities. EU regulators also raised concerns about advertising transparency and researchers’ access to public data.

The US Department of Justice has filed an application with the EU’s General Court seeking to intervene in the case. US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. The US government said it has an interest in ensuring that the EU’s decision is consistent with international principles on territorial jurisdiction and does not adversely affect US-based digital services.

The European Commission said it was ready to defend its decision in court, arguing that X had breached the EU’s Digital Services Act.

The case is also part of wider regulatory scrutiny of X in the EU, including an investigation into its AI assistant Grok.