ABSTRACT – On 5 December 2025, the European Commission adopted the first sanction under the Digital Services Act, imposing a fine of €120 million on the platform X (formerly Twitter) for breaches related to transparency obligations. A comparison between the alleged infringements identified at the opening of the proceedings and the content of the final decision suggests that the Commission has taken a cautious approach to enforcement: only some of the initial allegations were upheld, while the more controversial ones, particularly those concerning content moderation, were set aside. This contribution analyses the Commission’s approach in light of the geopolitical context in which the decision was adopted, marked by growing tensions between the European Union and the United States, including in the field of digital regulation. In this scenario, the enforcement of the DSA appears to be subject to significant political pressure, placing the Commission in a difficult position between ensuring the application of EU law and preserving stable transatlantic relations, thereby casting uncertainty over the future of European digital sovereignty.
