Key facts
- The US government is seeking to join Elon Musk's legal challenge against a 120 million euro fine imposed on X.
- The European Commission fined X 120 million euros for deceiving users about its blue tick verification system.
- US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate stated the EU inappropriately expanded its reach to American companies outside its control.
- The US Department of Justice filed an application with the EU's General Court to support X's challenge.
The US government is seeking to join Elon Musk's legal challenge against a 120 million euro fine imposed by the European Union on X, arguing the bloc overstepped its jurisdiction. In December 2025, the European Commission fined the social media platform, stating it deceived users by allowing paid verification without meaningful checks. US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate asserted that the commission had "inappropriately attempted" to expand its reach to American companies outside its control. The US Department of Justice has filed an application with the EU's General Court, arguing the US "has a clear interest" in ensuring the commission's decisions align with international understandings of territorial jurisdiction and do not prejudice US-headquartered digital services. The EU regulators also accused X of failing to provide transparency around its adverts and denying researchers access to public data. The fine was the Commission's first official non-compliance decision under the Digital Services Act.