The EU\u2019s first-ever punishment under the Digital Services Act (DSA) has drawn clear support from national regulators, signalling coordinated enforcement across the bloc<\/p>\n
The European Commission\u2019s \u20ac120 million fine against X for breaching multiple transparency obligations is being framed less as an isolated sanction and more as the first major test of how the DSA\u2019s enforcement machinery functions. Regulators in Germany and Romania have publicly aligned themselves with the Commission, emphasising the shared responsibility of Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs) to ensure uniform implementation of the regulation across the EU.<\/p>\n
The Commission ruled on 5 December that X had violated the DSA in three key areas: the deceptive design of its blue checkmark, insufficient transparency in its advertising repository and the failure to provide researchers with access to public data. The decision marks the Regulation\u2019s first formal non-compliance ruling since it came into force.<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s Federal Network Agency BNetzA welcomed the outcome, describing it as evidence that European cooperation \u201cis having an impact\u201d. The agency said national DSCs had \u201cactively supported\u201d the investigation into X, underscoring that cross-border coordination is now embedded into the enforcement process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the agency, the case illustrates how national authorities and the Commission can pursue violations \u201cconsistently\u201d while ensuring the DSA is applied uniformly in all member states. It also highlighted the role of Germany\u2019s DSC in monitoring intermediary services, acting as a public complaints body and examining researcher data-access requests for very large online platforms.<\/p>\n
Romania\u2019s regulator, ANCOM, struck a similar tone in its statement, calling the Commission\u2019s decisions on X and TikTok \u201cimportant steps\u201d in strengthening transparency and user protection. It noted that the sanction against X represents the \u201cfirst non-compliance decision\u201d under the DSA and outlined the detailed obligations now imposed on the company, including deadlines for ending deceptive use of the blue checkmark and producing an action plan to correct deficiencies in its ad library and research data processes. ANCOM confirmed that it will help review X\u2019s forthcoming action plan through its role on the European Digital Services Board.<\/p>\n
The alignment between national DSCs and Brussels is important, given early concerns that uneven national implementation could hamper enforcement. Both Germany and Romania emphasised that the DSA obliges coordinators to exchange information and support Commission-led investigations, suggesting a deliberate effort to show a united regulatory front.<\/p>\n