Vice President JD Vance isn't holding back when it comes to defending American tech companies from European regulators. Late Thursday, he took aim at the European Union over reports that Elon Musk's X platform could face massive fines, framing the potential penalty as both censorship overreach and an attack on U.S. business interests.
Vance Goes to Bat for Musk
In a post on X itself, Vance wrote: "Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech, not attacking American companies over garbage."
The vice president's message resonated with some tech figures, including Palantir (PLTR) co-founder Joe Lonsdale, who responded with support: "Thanks for standing up to them."
What's Actually Happening With X?
Vance's comments come against the backdrop of a late November Agence France-Presse report indicating the EU could fine Musk's platform by the end of 2025 for violating digital content rules. The investigation has been running for two years under the bloc's Digital Services Act, though no penalties have actually been imposed yet.
The regulatory scrutiny isn't limited to X. Earlier this month, Ireland's media regulator opened investigations into TikTok and LinkedIn over concerns that their content reporting systems make it difficult to flag child sexual abuse material—either because they're hard to access or don't allow anonymous reporting. These probes are also under the Digital Services Act framework, targeting platforms with European headquarters in Ireland.
The Bigger Picture: Transatlantic Tech Friction
Here's the thing—this isn't a one-off spat. The EU has made a habit of slapping hefty fines on American tech giants for everything from antitrust violations to tax disputes. And unsurprisingly, Washington isn't thrilled about it. These penalties have consistently sparked political backlash and threaten to escalate trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe.
In November, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick visited Brussels and proposed a deal: ease up on digital regulations in exchange for reduced steel tariffs. That's how high stakes this has gotten—tech fines are now bargaining chips in broader trade negotiations.
The list of recent EU penalties reads like a who's who of Silicon Valley. In September, the bloc fined Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) (GOOG) $3.5 billion for antitrust violations, a move President Donald Trump criticized as targeting American companies.
In June, Meta Platforms (META) and TikTok challenged the EU's supervisory fee structure under the Digital Services Act, arguing the calculations are fundamentally flawed and unfairly inflate what they owe. And in April, the EU imposed nearly $800 million in combined fines on Meta and Apple Inc. (AAPL) for violating the bloc's antitrust regulations.
What we're watching unfold is less about any single fine and more about two different regulatory philosophies colliding. The EU sees itself as protecting consumers and competition; Washington sees European regulators going after successful American companies. Neither side seems particularly interested in backing down, which means tech companies operating on both sides of the Atlantic are caught squarely in the middle.