Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to X on Friday to blast the European Commission for its decision to fine Elon Musk's social media platform X 120 million euros, or about $140 million, for breaches of the bloc's digital regulations.

The move by European Union regulators follows a two-year investigation into whether the platform violated the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The legislation mandates that large online platforms curb illegal or harmful content and improve transparency around advertising and data access for researchers and regulators.

"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," Rubio wrote following the decision. "The days of censoring Americans online are over."

EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen defended the sanction as measured and appropriate. She said the amount reflected the seriousness and duration of X's violations and their impact on European users.

"We are not here to impose the highest fines," Virkkunen said. "We are here to ensure that our digital legislation is enforced. If you comply with our rules, you don't get a fine."

She also rejected claims that the DSA restricts free expression, insisting the law "has nothing to do with censorship."

The decision was the first major penalty issued under the DSA — and Rubio wasn't the only U.S. official to criticize it.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr accused Brussels of singling out American firms, saying the fine showed Europe punishing a "successful U.S. tech company for being a successful U.S. tech company."

Ahead of the announcement, Vice President JD Vance warned the EU was preparing to penalize X "for not engaging in censorship," arguing that Europe should support free speech, not "attack American companies over garbage."

EU regulators said X violated multiple DSA rules, including using deceptive design for its blue check verification program, failing to provide transparent advertising data, and refusing to grant researchers access to public platform information.

The company has 60 to 90 working days to propose corrective steps, depending on the issue.

Investigations reportedly continue into how X handles illegal content and potential information manipulation, while a separate probe into TikTok's algorithms and child-protection measures also remains active.

TikTok — which avoided a penalty after offering concessions to regulators — pledged to increase transparency in its ad library and urged regulators to apply the law "equally and consistently across all platforms." It still faces charges over alleged DSA breaches involving its advertisement repository.

Under the DSA, penalties can reach up to 6% of global annual revenue, leaving open the possibility of significantly larger fines as Europe presses forward with its regulatory campaign targeting Big Tech.

Newsmax Wires contributed to this report.

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