Fact check
“The fine is $137 million.”
Reasoning
The Wired article repeatedly refers to a "$137 million EU fine" imposed on X under the Digital Services Act. The claim matches this reported figure.
On confidence: Multiple primary sources explicitly state the fine amount as $137 million.
Important context
The fine is described as an EU sanction under the Digital Services Act, originally quoted in euros (€120 million) but converted to $137 million in the article.
Evidence
Contradicting (6)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
Isabella Ward Business Sep 25, 2026 7:32 AM The Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine The US government filed an application to support the company’s legal challenge against a fine issued under the…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
Donald Trump calling the penalties “overseas extortion.” Last year, he threatened imposing tariffs on any country implementing digital regulation, which he said were “all designed to harm, or discriminate against, American technology.”…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
criticism of the bloc’s tech rules. The US Department of Justice said it had filed an application with the help of the Department of State to support a legal challenge by Musk to annul the case in the EU’s General Court. The…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
sites. Many of those, which include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram , Google’s YouTube , and Microsoft’s LinkedIn , are headquartered in the US and contribute significantly to the US economy, it pointed out. “We will not tolerate the…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
“rights of defence … suggesting prosecutorial bias.” Musk has also complained about the financial and administrative burden of heightened transparency requirements as governments globally try to get a better understanding of—and…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceThe Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU Fine | WIRED
the status is deceptive, the Commission ruled. X’s inaccessible and incomplete advertising repository and failure to provide access to public data for researchers is also hindering research into the platform’s risks, it said. In July, the…
Limitations
All evidence comes from a single news outlet; no independent financial documents are provided.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:22 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
The Trump Administration Is Trying to Get Musk and X Out of a $137 Million EU FineWired · Isabella Ward