The U.S. government officially stated that it sought to join Elon Musk in his legal battle against a €120 million (about $137 million) fine imposed by the European Union (EU) on his social media platform, X.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted an application to the EU's General Court, backing X's bid to dismiss the case. The department contends that the European Commission has wrongly attempted to extend its regulatory reach to U.S. companies not operating within its jurisdiction.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of DOJ's civil division said, "The European Commission inappropriately attempted to expand its regulatory authority to reach American companies not present or operating within its jurisdiction."
The European Commission said its laws are not aimed at any particular nationality, arguing that they protect the EU's digital and democratic standards, which it considers a global benchmark, Reuters reported.
SpaceXAI, formerly known as xAI, and the European Commission did not immediately respond to MarketDash's request for comments.
Musk Slams EU Over X Fine
In December, the EU fined Elon Musk's social media platform X for violating its Digital Services Act, marking the bloc's first DSA sanction since the law was adopted in 2022. Musk criticized the decision, claiming the fine was imposed on him personally as well as X.
Elon Musk had also called for the EU's abolition after reposting criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who accused the bloc of corruption. Musk also reportedly terminated the European Commission's advertising account on X. Separately, Musk reposted a claim that the Commission manipulated an ad format to make a link appear as a video and increase its reach.
US Officials Rally Behind Musk Against EU
Last year, Vice President JD Vance criticized the EU's plans to fine Elon Musk's X, accusing the bloc of attacking American companies and free speech. Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) co-founder Joe Lonsdale had backed Vance's stance.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau accused the bloc of undermining U.S. security while relying on Washington for European security through NATO. Landau called the fine "the tip of the iceberg," arguing that EU policies on climate, technology, borders and sovereignty were hurting U.S. interests.
