Quote from Alex bobby on July 15, 2025, 3:18 AM

Elon Musk’s X Faces EU Complaint Over Misuse of Personal Data for Targeted Ads

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), is once again under the regulatory spotlight in Europe—this time over allegations that it violated the European Union’s strict rules on digital advertising and data protection. On July 15, a coalition of nine civil society organisations lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission, accusing the platform of unlawfully using sensitive personal data for targeted advertising, in direct breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA).

What’s at the Core of the Complaint?

The complaint stems from investigative work led by AI Forensics, a tech accountability organisation, which analyzed data from X’s Ad Repository. Their findings suggest that X allowed advertisers—including high-profile corporations and institutions—to run highly targeted ads based on users’ sensitive data. These data categories include political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and health conditions—all of which are explicitly protected under the EU’s DSA.

Among the most damning examples cited was that of Total Energies, a multinational oil and gas giant, which reportedly excluded X users from ad campaigns if they had engaged with content related to ecologist political figures. In another case, McDonald’s allegedly targeted ads to avoid users associated with keywords linked to labor unions, antidepressants, or even suicide—raising serious ethical and legal questions about discrimination and mental health profiling.

The Digital Services Act: What It Says

The Digital Services Act, which came into force for large online platforms (VLOPs) including X in late 2023, is a landmark EU regulation designed to increase accountability and transparency in the digital space. One of its core provisions explicitly prohibits the use of “special categories of personal data” for profiling and targeted advertising. These categories, defined under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), include personal data that could lead to discrimination or unjust targeting.

The DSA also requires platforms to maintain transparency around how ads are delivered and to allow external researchers to access ad repositories for accountability purposes—provisions that made the AI Forensics investigation possible.

Who Filed the Complaint?

The formal complaint was filed by a coalition of nine prominent civil society and digital rights organisations, including:

• European Digital Rights (EDRi)
• AI Forensics
• Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe (CDT)
• Access Now
• Civil Liberties Union for Europe
• Ekō (formerly SumOfUs)
• Fair Trials
• Society for Civil Rights (GFF)
• noyb – European Center for Digital Rights

These groups argue that X’s advertising practices not only violate the DSA but also pose significant threats to democratic discourse, user privacy, and mental health awareness. They are calling on the European Commission and national Digital Services Coordinators to launch an official investigation into the matter.

X’s Track Record and Regulatory Scrutiny

This isn’t the first time X has run afoul of European regulators. In December 2023, the European Commission initiated an official investigation into the platform under the DSA, citing failures related to content moderation, transparency, and misinformation controls. Preliminary findings from that probe, released earlier this year, also raised concerns about the misleading use of "blue checkmarks," which the Commission said could confuse users about account authenticity and verification.

The ongoing investigation adds pressure to an already strained relationship between X and the EU. While X has submitted a written response to the preliminary findings, the final outcome remains pending.

Broader Implications for Tech and Privacy

This latest complaint against X could mark a significant turning point in how the EU enforces its landmark digital laws. If found guilty of violating the DSA, X could face hefty fines, which under the regulation can be as much as 6% of a company’s global annual turnover.

The case also sends a strong message to other tech platforms: Europe is serious about protecting users from covert data harvesting and unethical ad targeting. As political campaigns ramp up across the continent in advance of elections, the misuse of personal data for microtargeting remains a high-risk flashpoint for both democracy and digital rights.

Conclusion

Elon Musk’s X is facing a mounting legal and ethical storm in the European Union, with this latest complaint highlighting the platform’s controversial advertising practices. At stake is not only the trust of millions of European users but also the credibility of the EU’s new digital governance regime. As regulators move closer to a decision, X’s next steps—and how it addresses these allegations—will likely set a precedent for the entire tech industry.

Meta Description:
Elon Musk’s platform X is facing a formal EU complaint over alleged violations of the Digital Services Act, including misuse of sensitive personal data for targeted ads. Discover the implications.