Elon Musk demands EU dissolution as X faces massive €120 million fine

American entrepreneur Elon Musk has called for the dissolution of the European Union and the restoration of sovereignty to individual member states.

According to Caliber.Az, Musk made the statements on his X social media account.

"The EU should be abolished, and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people," he wrote. In a separate post, Musk added that the EU bureaucracy “is slowly smothering Europe to death.”

The remarks come shortly after Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, was fined €120 million by the European Commission on December 5. The penalty is the first issued under the EU’s landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) following a two-year investigation.

The fine addresses two main issues. First, the platform’s blue checkmark verification system — which previously confirmed official accounts for free — is now sold for €7 per month, creating the risk of misleading users about account authenticity. Under the new system, a verified account may no longer indicate a real person and could instead belong to a bot.

Second, the Commission found that X violates transparency requirements for social media advertising. The platform does not provide an updated register of advertisers, making it difficult for users and authorities to trace the origins of ads — a concern especially relevant during election campaigns. Additionally, X has not explained why specific ads target certain users.

The Commission also criticised X for failing to provide researchers with access to data on views and likes, as mandated under the DSA.

Ahead of the official announcement, US Vice President JD Vance criticised the decision on X, arguing that the EU should support free speech rather than penalising American companies. Vance has previously referred to European Commissioners as “EU commissars,” likening them to Soviet political authorities.

Two additional EU investigations into X remain ongoing. One examines the platform’s handling of illegal content, user flagging, and content removal efficiency, while the other reviews its recommendation algorithms, particularly in relation to terrorism, radicalisation, and election campaigns.

On the same day, the European Commission also acknowledged that TikTok has committed to improving its advertising transparency system. The Chinese video platform has been under investigation since earlier this year and pledged enhancements to its ad repository processes.

By Tamilla Hasanova