Social media giant X has taken drastic action against the European Commission just 24 hours after being hit with a record-breaking fine of approximately $140 million.
The news comes in the wake of a highly publicized controversy surrounding X's Ad Composer platform. According to Nikita Bier, X's head of product, the commission had allegedly exploited an issue within the system to artificially inflate the reach of their post announcing the fine. This move was deemed to be a deceptive tactic by X, who subsequently revoked the commission's ability to purchase and track ads on their platform.
X has maintained that this action was necessary in light of the exploit being used to manipulate user engagement. However, Bier did acknowledge that the issue had previously gone unexploited, stating it "has never been abused like this" before its patching. Nonetheless, X's decision to sever ties with the commission remains a significant blow.
The European Commission, however, maintains its position on several key fronts. The body has claimed that X's system for verified accounts is opaque and lacks transparency, while also failing to provide adequate data for researchers. In response to these allegations, Thomas Regnier, the commission's spokesperson for Tech Sovereignty, Defence, Space and Research, stated that this fine marks a significant milestone under the Digital Services Act.
Elon Musk, X's CEO, has since responded to the commission's accusations with a dismissive remark, describing their claims as "bullshit".
The news comes in the wake of a highly publicized controversy surrounding X's Ad Composer platform. According to Nikita Bier, X's head of product, the commission had allegedly exploited an issue within the system to artificially inflate the reach of their post announcing the fine. This move was deemed to be a deceptive tactic by X, who subsequently revoked the commission's ability to purchase and track ads on their platform.
X has maintained that this action was necessary in light of the exploit being used to manipulate user engagement. However, Bier did acknowledge that the issue had previously gone unexploited, stating it "has never been abused like this" before its patching. Nonetheless, X's decision to sever ties with the commission remains a significant blow.
The European Commission, however, maintains its position on several key fronts. The body has claimed that X's system for verified accounts is opaque and lacks transparency, while also failing to provide adequate data for researchers. In response to these allegations, Thomas Regnier, the commission's spokesperson for Tech Sovereignty, Defence, Space and Research, stated that this fine marks a significant milestone under the Digital Services Act.
Elon Musk, X's CEO, has since responded to the commission's accusations with a dismissive remark, describing their claims as "bullshit".