The US government is joining Elon Musk’s legal battle against a €120 million (£105 million) fine imposed by the European Union on his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter. The fine was issued in December 2025 by the European Commission, which accused X of misleading users by allowing them to pay for a blue verified check mark without "meaningfully verifying" the identity of the account holder. The US Assistant Attorney General, Brett A. Shumate, criticized the EU for attempting to extend its regulatory reach beyond its borders, arguing that the commission had overstepped its authority. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a formal request with the EU's General Court to support Musk and X in their effort to dismiss the case. The DOJ’s argument is based on a specific provision in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the EU, which allows a state to participate in a legal case if it can prove it has a direct interest in the outcome. The US claims it has a strong interest in ensuring that the EU's decision aligns with international legal standards on territorial jurisdiction. The DOJ also emphasized that the ruling should not harm American-based digital services that are vital to the US economy. In response, the European Commission has stated it is prepared to defend its position in court, claiming it has a "solid case" based on the alleged violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA is one of two key sets of rules governing online platforms in the EU, designed to ensure greater accountability and transparency. In addition to the blue tick issue, EU regulators accused X of lacking transparency in its advertising practices and restricting access to public data for researchers. Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, stated that X was being held accountable for "undermining users' rights and evading accountability." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have criticized the EU for what they call an attempt to censor American companies. Rubio described the fine as an attack not only on X but on "all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments." He added, "The days of censoring Americans online are over." His comments were shared by Musk, who agreed. The European Commission denied targeting any specific nationality, stating it is focused on upholding its digital and democratic standards to maintain its role as a global leader in regulation. The case also marks the first official non-compliance decision made under the DSA, while the EU continues to investigate other aspects of X, including its AI assistant, Grok, over concerns about its use in generating inappropriate content.