Rubio Weighs In on EU's $1.2B Fine Against Twitter: A Must-Read for Tech and Policy Enthusiasts

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the European Union's $140 million fine against X a "foreign government attack on the American people," escalating tensions between Washington and Brussels over tech regulation. The penalty marks the EU's first enforcement action under its Digital Services Act, a law designed to combat harmful online content.

The EU imposed a 120 million euro fine on Elon Musk's X platform Friday for violating transparency requirements under the Digital Services Act. This two-year-old law targets illegal and harmful content across major social media platforms operating in Europe.

Rubio fired back on X itself, framing the fine as broader than just one company. "This isn't just an attack on X, but an attack on all American technology platforms and the American people by foreign governments," he wrote. He added that "the era of censoring Americans online is over."

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen pushed back against censorship claims. "This decision is about X's transparency and has nothing to do with censorship," she told reporters. "If you comply with our rules, we won't fine you. It's that simple."

The clash highlights growing friction between US tech companies and European regulators. The Digital Services Act requires platforms to be more transparent about content moderation and advertising practices. Companies that don't comply face fines up to 6% of their global revenue.

For investors and tech companies, this sets a clear precedent. The EU is willing to use its new regulatory powers against major US platforms. Other American social media companies now face pressure to ensure their European operations meet these transparency standards or risk similar penalties.

The timing adds political weight to the dispute. Rubio's strong response signals the new Trump administration may take a more confrontational approach to European tech regulation than previous US governments.