Allowing disinformation to spread on Twitter, formerly known as X, may cost Elon Musk a lot more money than he bargained for. The European Union has warned Twitter that fines for breaking EU law could be calculated based on the total revenue of Musk’s companies, not just his social media platform, as reported by Bloomberg.
EU Digital Service Act and Investigation
According to the EU’s Digital Service Act (DSA), which came into effect in 2022, social media platforms are required to address illegal content and disinformation on their service. Failure to do so could result in fines of up to 6 percent of a company’s yearly global revenue. The European Commission announced a formal investigation into Twitter to assess potential breaches of the DSA in various areas.
Implications for Musk and his Companies
If the European Commission decides to penalize Twitter, the fine could be much larger than anticipated. The fine would not only consider Twitter’s revenue but also the revenue of Musk’s other companies such as SpaceX, Neuralink, xAI, and Boring Company. With the possibility of including all of Musk’s companies in the fine calculation, it appears that the European Commission is holding Musk accountable for the violations committed by Twitter.


