The European Commission fines X $140 million for its deceptive blue checkmark

The European Commission (EC) has today reached a verdict on an investigation of X that started in 2024. The EC has fined the social network €120 million (approximately $140 million), finding that its blue checkmark was deceptive since it implies a user who has it is verified, but anyone can pay to obtain this status « without the company meaningfully verifying who is behind the account ».

This violates the obligation, under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), for online platforms to « prohibit deceptive design practices on their services ».

The fine also covers X’s advertisement…