US Seeks to Join X Challenge to €120 Million EU Fine

The U.S. Justice Department has asked the European Union’s General Court to let the United States intervene in support of X and Elon Musk as they challenge a €120 million fine imposed by the European Commission. The court has not ruled on the request, and the U.S. government’s participation is not yet assured. The department said it filed an application backing X and Musk’s effort to overturn the Commission’s December 2025 decision. Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the Commission had overreached by applying its authority to American companies not present or operating within its jurisdiction. That is the U.S. government’s stated position; the court has not decided the underlying jurisdictional dispute. The Commission imposed the penalty under the Digital Services Act, describing the case as involving X’s paid verification design, transparency of its advertising repository and researcher access to public data. The fine was reported as the first imposed for noncompliance under the act. X filed its challenge in February 2026, seeking to annul the Commission’s decision. The General Court has not ruled on the merits. The U.S.