X axes European Commission’s ad account after €120M EU fine

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: X (formerly Twitter) terminated the European Commission’s advertising account just two days after being fined €120 million under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA)
• X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, accused the Commission of exploiting an Ad Composer loophole to boost reach on posts announcing the fine
• The unprecedented move deepens friction between Brussels and Elon Musk’s platform

🔭 The context: The fine targeted X’s failure to maintain a transparent ads library and its shift of the blue checkmark from verification to a paid feature the EU deemed “deceptive”
• The clash unfolds amid a broader transatlantic dispute over EU digital rulemaking, with the Trump administration arguing that the DSA and DMA unfairly target U.S. tech firms
• Washington has already threatened tariffs if the EU does not soften its stance

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Robust, transparent digital platforms are essential for countering misinformation tied to climate, energy and environmental policy, from carbon markets to extreme-weather preparedness
• The Commission’s loss of ad tools on a major platform may hamper public-interest messaging and crisis communication, while escalating U.S.-EU tech tensions could weaken joint governance on sustainability data, green innovation standards, and election-integrity efforts vital to climate policymaking

⏭️ What’s next: Brussels is expected to defend the fine and may initiate additional DSA enforcement if X continues limiting compliance
• Transatlantic negotiations over digital regulation and threatened tariffs will intensify ahead of 2026 trade deadlines
• Platforms could also face stricter EU scrutiny as lawmakers aim to reinforce transparency obligations

💬 One quote: “The DSA has nothing to do with censorship… this decision is about the transparency of X,” said EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen

📈 One stat: €120 million — the penalty levied against X for DSA violations, one of the largest transparency fines to date

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