Home / Business and Economy / EU Fines X 120M Euros Over Blue Check Deception
EU Fines X 120M Euros Over Blue Check Deception
5 Dec
Summary
- X fined 120 million euros by European Commission for transparency violations.
- Deceptive blue checkmark design and lack of advertiser transparency cited.
- Platform has 60 days to address issues or face further penalties.
The European Commission has levied a substantial fine of 120 million euros against X, formerly Twitter, for breaching transparency obligations mandated by the Digital Services Act. The executive arm of the EU specifically took issue with the platform's "deceptive design" concerning its blue checkmark verification badges and a general lack of transparency surrounding its advertisers.
This action by the Commission follows an investigation launched in 2023 into X's compliance with the Digital Services Act, a regulation aimed at curbing harmful online content. The shift in X's verification policy, allowing anyone to purchase a blue checkmark without rigorous identity verification, is a primary concern, potentially exposing users to fraud and impersonation.
Beyond the blue check issue, the Commission also cited a lack of transparency in X's advertising repository, hindering researchers' ability to detect scams and influence operations. X has been given 60 days to address the blue checkmark concerns and 90 days for other issues, with the threat of further penalties if non-compliance persists.
