The European Commission has fined X €120 million under the Digital Services Act, marking the first-ever penalty issued under the new EU rules. Spokesperson Thomas Regnier said X misled users by selling verification without proper checks, offering unclear advertising, and failing to provide adequate data access for researchers. The fine covers three violations: misleading verification badges, ad transparency issues, and restricted research access. X owner Elon Musk dismissed the ruling as an attack on free speech, while U.S. officials including Marco Rubio criticised the EU’s approach as targeting American tech companies.