In a historic first under Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission has fined Elon Musk’s X a whopping €120 million ($140M) for misleading users with its controversial “blue checkmark” verification system.
Once a symbol of credibility for journalists, celebrities, and public figures, the blue checkmark now merely signals that a user subscribes to X Premium, a paid service. The EU called the system “deceptive”, noting that anyone meeting minimal requirements, such as a profile picture or phone number, can buy verified status.
“This violates the DSA’s rules on deceptive design,” the Commission said. Users are left vulnerable to scams, impersonation, and manipulation, as the checkmark no longer guarantees authenticity.
Advertising Transparency and Data Access Also Under Fire
The fine isn’t just about blue checks. The EC found X’s ad repository fails DSA standards, lacking critical details like who paid for ads or their content. Researchers also face barriers to accessing public data, preventing independent studies on systemic online risks.
Henna Virkkunen, EU Executive VP for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, slammed X:
“Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads, and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU.”
X now has 60 days to propose fixes for the blue check issue and 90 days for ad and data transparency compliance, with potential fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover for confirmed breaches.
What This Means
This is a wake-up call for social media platforms worldwide: deceptive features, opaque advertising, and restricted data access won’t be tolerated in Europe. Musk’s X faces intense scrutiny as regulators push back against what they call dark patterns in tech design.
For users, it’s a reminder that paying for a “verified” badge doesn’t mean what it used to, and for tech companies, it’s a signal that transparency and authenticity matter more than ever.
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