Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has filed an appeal at the European Union’s General Court challenging a Sh18.2 billion ($142 million) fine imposed for breaching the bloc’s digital content regulations.
The penalty was issued in December by the European Commission under the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA).
It marked the first fine ever handed down under the sweeping law, which regulates online platforms operating within the EU.
In a statement posted Friday, X said it had lodged a formal appeal contesting the commission’s decision, describing the investigation as “incomplete and superficial.”
The company’s global government affairs team alleged “grave procedural errors, a tortured interpretation of the obligations under the DSA, and systematic breaches of rights of defence and basic due process requirements suggesting prosecutorial bias.”
“This landmark case is the first judicial challenge to a DSA fine,” the company added.
An EU spokesperson confirmed that the commission was aware of the appeal and said it was prepared to defend its decision in court.
The fine followed an investigation launched in December 2023, in which regulators found X in breach of the DSA’s transparency requirements.
The commission cited several violations, including what it described as the deceptive design of the platform’s “blue checkmark” verification system and the company’s failure to provide adequate access to public data for researchers.
At the time, X owner Elon Musk criticised the ruling and suggested the EU should be “abolished,” escalating tensions between European regulators and U.S.-based tech firms.
Weeks later, the U.S. State Department announced sanctions on five individuals, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who had previously clashed with Musk over compliance with EU tech regulations.
X remains under scrutiny in Europe. Regulators are continuing a separate DSA investigation into how the platform handles illegal content and potential information manipulation.
While that probe appeared to stall in 2024, EU authorities in January 2026 opened another investigation into X’s AI chatbot, Grok, over allegations it generated sexualised deepfake images of women and minors, sparking international backlash.
The outcome of the appeal is expected to have significant implications for enforcement of the Digital Services Act and the broader regulation of global technology companies operating within the European Union.
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