Musk’s $140 Million Fine Shows the EU Is Losing Its Nerve
The EU has blinked in its showdown with Elon Musk.
Photographer: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance is a master of dramatic soundbites. Rumors are swirling that the European Commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for “not engaging in censorship,” he tweeted on Thursday. Europe, in other words, was trying to force X’s owner Elon Musk to smother the free speech of his users.
Vance was wrong on both counts. Europe’s regulatory fine against Elon Musk’s X has turned out to be a more modest €120 million ($140 million). It also has nothing to do with censorship. X isn’t being told what content to remove. It’s simply required to be transparent about verification, advertising and provide access to third-party researchers, none of which the company has done.