In the past, the EU has not hesitated to try to apply European law to tech companies. Over the past decade, for example, Google has faced three fines totaling more than $8 billion for breaking antitrust law (though one of these fines was overturned by the EU’s General Court in 2024).

The European Commission has ramped up its investigation into Elon Musk’s X social network after the tech mogul criticized European governments in recent weeks, and just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

Elon Musk has been railing against the European Union and its leaders, and his latest outburst is a sign he is 'out for payback', claims conservative academic