X’s Head of Product Responds to European Commission’s Fine
X’s Head of Product, Nikita Bier, has strongly defended the social media company after the European Commission imposed a €120 million fine (approximately $140 million). This marked the first fine issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, with the commission criticizing X’s blue checkmark system as “deceptive” and highlighting concerns about the platform’s advertising repository failing to meet transparency requirements.
The commission has given X a deadline of 60 days to address the issues related to the blue checkmark system and 90 days to rectify the ad transparency violations, warning of potential additional penalties if the company fails to comply.
Following the announcement of the fine, X owner Elon Musk expressed his frustration, calling the fine “bullshit” and even questioning the future of the EU in a controversial tweet.
Interestingly, X has taken action against the European Commission’s account on the platform, not as a direct response to the fine, but due to the commission’s alleged misuse of X’s advertising system. Bier accused the EC of exploiting an ad account to deceive users and artificially boost reach, leading to the termination of the commission’s ad account.
In a statement addressing the situation, Bier emphasized X’s commitment to providing an equal voice to all users and criticized the commission for not abiding by platform rules. He also clarified that the exploit used by the commission had been promptly patched to prevent further abuse.
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While the European Commission may have been barred from purchasing ads on X, its initial post announcing the fine remains visible on the platform, with the account retaining a grey checkmark denoting its status as a government entity.
