The US government is joining Elon Musk’s legal battle to overturn an EU fine of €120 million (£105 million) against X over its blue tick badges. The European Commission said in December 2025 that the site “deceives users” by letting users purchase a blue confirmed tick mark as it is not “meaningfully verifying” the identity of the account holder.
However, US Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate said on Thursday that the commission had “inappropriately attempted” to reach American businesses outside its jurisdiction.
Musk, who contributed millions to the election of Donald Trump and other Republicans, has said that EU tech regulation “inhibits progress” for businesses. In support of Musk and X’s efforts to have the case dismissed, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has submitted an application to the General Court of the EU.
It asserts that a state may get involved in court disputes if it “can establish an interest in the result of the case to the court” in accordance with a clause in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the EU. According to the DOJ, the US “has a clear interest” in making sure that the commission’s rulings are enforced in a way that is consistent with “how territorial jurisdiction is generally understood in international law”.
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