EU SAYS PLATFORM MISLED USERS WITH BLUE-CHECK VERIFYING SYSTEM, LACKED AD TRANSPARENCY, AND BLOCKED RESEARCHER ACCESS
The European Commission issued a €120 million fine to X for alleged violations of EU digital regulations involving user verification, advertising transparency, and researcher data access.
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it has fined the social-media platform X €120 million (approximately $140 million), alleging that the company violated multiple provisions of the EU’s new Digital Services Act (DSA). The fine marks one of the most significant enforcement actions under the updated regulatory framework.
According to the Commission, the platform allegedly issued “misleading” blue-check verification badges, blurring the distinction between authentic accounts and paid subscriber features. Regulators argue this created potential confusion for users about which accounts were officially verified.
The EU also accused X of failing to maintain a required public ad-transparency database, which is meant to show which advertisers are running campaigns, what audiences they target, and how political content is promoted across the platform.
Another cited violation includes X’s alleged failure to provide approved researchers with access to public platform data, which the DSA mandates for monitoring political discourse, misinformation, and harmful content. EU officials say this limited transparency undermines efforts to evaluate the platform’s societal impact.
X has not yet issued an official response to the fine, but the company is expected to challenge or appeal the ruling, setting up a potential legal battle in EU courts. The platform has previously criticized certain DSA provisions as overly restrictive.
Tech analysts note that the enforcement action could set a precedent for how the EU holds major social platforms accountable under the DSA. More investigations into other companies are reportedly already underway.
The Commission said it will release further details as the case progresses and as X responds to the enforcement order.
