Billionaire Elon Musk has launched a strong criticism against the European Union (EU) following a $140 million fine imposed on his social media platform, X, for alleged violations of the bloc's strict content and transparency rules. Musk asserted that X has become the leading source of news across EU countries, a claim he reiterated on Sunday, stating, "X is seeing record-breaking downloads in many countries in Europe." This statement preceded a series of tweets where he vehemently attacked the EU.

Musk's core argument against the EU is its nature as a 'bureaucracy' rather than a 'democracy,' suggesting it is governed by unelected officials. He initially tweeted, "The European Union is not DEMOcracy – rule of the people – but rather BUREAUcracy – rule of the unelected bureaucrat!" Shortly thereafter, Musk declared, based on a post from Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, that X had become the "#1 source for news in every single EU country" including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The Tesla Owners group added that these are "The same 27 countries trying to regulate, fine, and silence it… now rely on it more than any legacy outlet or state media." However, this claim was not independently confirmed by Mint.

The substantial $140 million penalty on X was levied by the EU for alleged breaches of its content and transparency regulations, which came into effect in August 2023. These rules dictate the parameters within which major tech companies operate concerning content moderation and the management of user data. The EU specifically cited X's "deceptive design" related to its blue checkmark and a lack of transparency in its advertisements repository as reasons for the fine. Furthermore, X was accused of failing to meet its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by imposing "unnecessary barriers" to researchers attempting to access the platform's public data, thereby hindering investigations into systemic risks within the European Union.

In response to the EU's decision, Musk called for the bloc's dissolution, advocating for the return of sovereignty to individual nations. He tweeted, “The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people,” and followed this with several posts highlighting the EU’s perceived shortcomings, including a dire warning that “Europe is sleep-walking into oblivion.” He even shared a post that controversially equated the bloc with the “Fourth Reich,” further intensifying his attack by describing the EU as “The tyrannical, unelected bureaucracy oppressing the people of Europe.”

The EU's actions against X also drew criticism from officials within the Donald Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the fine as an "attack" on US tech companies and the American people, a sentiment shared when his post was re-shared by US Vice President J.D. Vance. Rubio asserted, “The European Commission’s $140 million fine isn’t just an attack on X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments,” adding, “The days of censoring Americans online are over.”