X Cuts Off European Commission’s Ad Account After €120 M Fine

On 5 December 2025, X was hit with a landmark €120 million fine from European Commission, marking the first enforcement of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) against a major social platform. The penalties targeted multiple violations, including deceptive use of paid blue checkmarks, lack of transparency in advertising data, and failure to provide researchers with public‑data access.

Responding swiftly, X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, announced that the commission’s advertising account had been terminated. Bier claimed the account – reportedly dormant for years – was used to exploit a vulnerability in X’s Ad Composer. According to him, the EC allegedly posted a link disguised as a video to artificially amplify reach, a practice X deemed deceptive.

The timing adds fuel to what has become a wider conflict between the EU regulator and X’s leadership. The fine stems from concerns that the platform’s blue‑tick subscription system undermined trust by allowing unverified accounts to appear as “official.” Regulators said this increased the risk of impersonation and scams. Critics also flagged X’s ad repository as opaque and inaccessible to independent scrutiny, alleging it violated DSA mandates designed to promote transparency around advertising and content moderation.

In retaliation, X seems to have weaponized its platform policy – cutting off the EC’s advertising privileges. The move is more symbolic than materially punitive, given that the ad account had not been active. Nonetheless, it underlines the growing tension between regulatory authorities enforcing digital‑service standards and platforms resistant to external oversight. Observers warn this could set a precedent for future showdowns between regulators and major tech companies.