The United States asked the European Union’s General Court to allow it to intervene in support of Elon Musk and his social media platform X on Thursday as they challenge a fine for violating the bloc’s online content rules.
Musk and X, formerly known as Twitter, are contesting a €120 million ($136 million) penalty imposed by Brussels under the EU’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA), reports AFP.
The US Justice Department confirmed it had filed an application with the EU’s second-highest court backing Musk and X’s bid to overturn the European Commission’s December 2025 decision, which marked the first fine issued under the DSA.
The DSA, which came fully into force in 2024, requires online platforms to take greater action against illegal and harmful content and provide transparency about how their systems operate. Companies can face penalties of up to 6 per cent of their global annual turnover for violations.
The legislation has become a major point of tension between Washington and Brussels. US President Donald Trump’s administration and the US technology industry have accused the DSA of being a censorship tool, a charge rejected by the EU.
“The European Commission inappropriately attempted to expand its regulatory authority to reach American companies not present or operating within its jurisdiction,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said.
“We will not tolerate the European Commission engaging in regulatory overreach to try and control American engines of innovation and economic growth,” he added.
The commission fined X for violating transparency requirements, using deceptive design in its paid blue checkmark system and denying researchers access to public data.
Trump described the penalty as censorship. Weeks later, the US State Department announced sanctions against five individuals, including former EU commissioner Thierry Breton.
X, which has its EU headquarters in Ireland, filed its appeal in February, arguing that the fine violated its due process rights. However, the company has also taken steps to comply with the decision.
In July, the commission accepted X’s plan to address the violations. The plan includes expanding researchers’ access to data, including advertising information, with all changes subject to an independent audit.
X had already changed the label on its blue checkmarks from “verified” to “premium”.
