X has officially terminated the European Commission’s advertising account after the EU body ran a paid promotion that disguised an external link as a native video post to boost reach on the platform. The move comes just weeks after Brussels fined X 15 million euros for alleged lack of transparency in its blue-check subscription and advertising policies.
Internal sources at X confirmed that the European Commission’s digital team uploaded what appeared to be a standard video announcement about new content-moderation guidelines. In reality, the file contained a single static image with a clickable overlay that redirected users to an official EU website outside the platform.
This technique, often called a link-in-video or fake video card, triggers X’s algorithm to treat the post as video content and grant it significantly higher organic distribution while still collecting payment as a promoted post.
The decision to suspend the account followed an internal review triggered by community notes and user reports pointing out the mismatch between the advertised video thumbnail and the actual redirect behaviour.
X stated that disguising external links as video content violates its ads policy on deceptive formats, regardless of whether the advertiser is a government entity or private company.
European Commission spokespersons defended the campaign format, claiming the method is a common industry practice used by many large institutions to drive traffic to official statements. They added that the same creative style has been running without issues on other social platforms.
However, X’s enforcement team maintained that platform rules apply equally to all paying advertisers and that government bodies receive no special exemption.
The suspension means the European Commission can no longer purchase promoted posts, run recruitment campaigns, or boost public-safety announcements on X across all 27 member states. Several ongoing campaigns about digital services regulation and upcoming elections have been paused indefinitely.
This marks the latest escalation in tensions between X and EU regulators. The 15 million euro fine issued last month centred on claims that Xs’ paid verification system created misleading impressions of authority for certain accounts.
Critics now highlight what they call clear irony: the same regulatory body that accused X of deceptive practices used a borderline tactic to amplify its own message while paying for extra reach.
Independent advertising analysts note that the fake-video-card approach has become widespread because platforms historically rewarded video content with better algorithmic placement.
Some major news outlets and government agencies continue to use similar formats on competing services without facing account-level consequences.
X has not announced whether the suspension is permanent or if the European Commission can regain advertising privileges after removing the offending format and agreeing to revised creative guidelines.
In the meantime, EU institutions have shifted the remaining budget to alternative platforms where the same campaign style remains active.
The incident has sparked wider discussion among digital marketers about inconsistent enforcement of advertising rules across social networks and whether government entities should face the same strict scrutiny as commercial brands when promoting official messages online.
