A new survey across Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland shows that nearly half of Europeans would support banning social media platform X from the European Union if it continues to break EU rules. Conducted by YouGov, the polling highlights rising frustration among EU citizens over what they perceive as the platform’s failure to comply with European digital regulations.

The survey found that between 60 and 78 percent of respondents in each country believe the EU should take stronger action against X if it does not address breaches identified by the European Commission last year. Of those in favour of further measures, a majority—ranging from 62 to 73 percent—said the platform should be banned if it refuses to comply. Overall, 47 percent of respondents backed a potential ban.

The European Commission fined X €120 million in December under the Digital Services Act (DSA) for failing to meet transparency obligations. Central to the investigation is the blue checkmark system, previously free to verify official accounts but now sold for €7 a month, which could mislead users about account authenticity. The Commission also found the platform did not meet transparency requirements for advertising, raising concerns that users could be exposed to financial scams. X has 90 working days to respond to the Commission’s findings.

Since the fine, the platform and its built-in AI assistant, Grok, have faced additional scrutiny. Critics argue that X amplifies harmful content, including deepfake pornography and child sexual abuse material. French prosecutors recently raided X’s Paris office as part of an ongoing investigation into child abuse content.

The YouGov survey indicates strong public support for tougher enforcement against large tech platforms. If X fails to comply with the Commission’s ruling, 70 percent of respondents said they would support consequences. Among these, 17 to 28 percent favoured further fines, 23 to 29 percent supported banning the platform outright, and the largest group—40 to 52 percent—wanted a combination of fines and a ban.

Ava Lee, executive director of People vs Big Tech, said the data shows Europeans are “done with empty warnings.” She added that X could set a precedent for how the EU enforces its rules on major technology companies.

Despite public support for tougher measures, banning a major social media platform would be considered an extreme step under EU law. The Commission has not indicated that it is currently considering such a move.

The survey comes amid wider debates in Europe over social media regulation. Several countries, including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom, are considering restrictions or outright bans on social media for minors, citing concerns over illegal or harmful content. Australia has already implemented strict rules for users under 16, but experts caution that enforcement challenges mean it is too early to judge the effectiveness of such bans.

Professor Kathryn Modecki from the University of Western Australia noted that many children continue to access banned apps through simple workarounds, suggesting policymakers should monitor results carefully before expanding similar restrictions elsewhere.