The Commission said it would investigate Shein for "addictive design, the lack of transparency of recommender systems, as well as the sale of illegal products, including child sexual abuse material." Shein's platform is addictive because it uses points and rewards for engagement, the Commission said in the press release, which could jeopardize consumer well-being. Shein, a Chinese fast fashion brand, is headquartered in Singapore.
There are threats and intimidation and then suddenly Washington backs down. And we think it's over. But don't believe it for a second. He said when there is blatant aggression we must not bow down or try to reach a settlement. We tried this strategy for months and it's not working. But above all, it strategically leads Europe to increase its dependence.
"I was involuntarily undressed by Elon Musk's Grok on X." Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said in a recent video on the platform. She is one of countless victims of a feature on X's AI chatbot, Grok, that allows users to digitally strip women and children of their clothing. In less than two weeks, Grok generated three million sexualized images, including tens of thousands that appear to depict children.
Meta's messaging app WhatsApp could soon be subject to deeper scrutiny (and punishment) under the European Commission's Digital Services Act, Reuters reports. Because the app's broadcasting feature WhatsApp Channels grew to around 51.7 million average monthly active users in the European Union in the first six months of 2025, the feature has crossed the 45-million-person barrier that lets DSA rules apply.
Getty Images The US State Department said it would deny visas to five people, including a former EU commissioner, for seeking to "coerce" American social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they oppose. "These radical activists and weaponized NGOs have advanced censorship crackdowns by foreign states - in each case targeting American speakers and American companies," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Trump slams 120 million ($140 million) EU fine on X Musk has also denounced the penalty EU cites transparency and data-access breaches US officials say EU is targeting American firms Speaking at the White House, Trump said that Europe was "very bad, very bad for the people" and warned that the United States did not want the continent "to change so much." He did not specify what he meant, but said Europe "has to be very careful doing a lot of things."
The billionaire unleashed a barrage of posts on X, boosting claims that cast Brussels as censorious, corrupt, and anti-democratic - just days after the bloc fined his platform €120 million ($140 million) over the "deceptive design" of its blue checkmarks. In one post, Musk asked followers: "How long before the EU is gone?" AbolishTheEU. In another instance, he backed a call for binding referendums on whether countries should remain in the bloc, describing it as a "good idea."
The EC has fined the social network €120 million (approximately $140 million), finding that its blue checkmark was deceptive since it implies a user who has it is verified, but anyone can pay to obtain this status "without the company meaningfully verifying who is behind the account". This violates the obligation, under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), for online platforms to "prohibit deceptive design practices on their services".
The decision risks further inflaming trade negotiations between Brussels and Washington, where the Trump administration has demanded Europe abandon regulations it views as protectionist. US Vice President JD Vance lashed out at Brussels even before the announcement, claiming the platform was being punished for not engaging in censorship. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the fine an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments.
