X Gets Fined

European Union slaps Elon Musk on the wrist: As of today, X became the first company to be fined (to the tune of $140 million) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) for violations including the platform’s “deceptive design” that allows users to mislead others about who they really are as well as prohibited advertising practices and refusal to provide researchers with access to public data.

“The commission rules require tech companies to provide a public list of advertisers to ensure the company’s structures guard against illegal scams, fake advertisements and coordinated campaigns in the context of political elections,” per The Guardian. 

“Deceiving users with blue check marks, obscuring information on ads and shutting out researchers have no place online in the E.U.,” said Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy for the European Commission, in a statement. “We are holding X responsible for undermining users’ rights and evading accountability.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

“Meta and TikTok were charged with breaching DSA transparency obligations in October,” per Reuters, “while Chinese online marketplace Temu was accused of violating rules to prevent the sale of illegal products.”

It’s par for the course for the E.U., but what exactly is so wrong with private citizens choosing of their own volition to use these services if they find value in them? The paternalism across the pond knows no bounds.

Netflix buys Warner Bros.: “Netflix announced plans on Friday to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business, in a deal that will send shock waves through Hollywood and the broader media landscape,” reports The New York Times. “The cash-and-stock deal values the business at $82.7 billion, including debt.” A few years ago, Amazon acquired (for $8.5 billion) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in a similar deal; streaming giants just keep gobbling up the old studios, further consolidating the entertainment industry.

Scenes from New York: In defense of the flop house!

Low-rent for-profit “Flop Houses” were basically banned in New York. The idea being that “service providing” “non-profits” could better run “single-room occupancy” (SRO) residences. That didn’t work out so well. https://t.co/Bo2AsYbMG4 pic.twitter.com/24UzTWPSKL

— Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) November 16, 2025

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