X (Twitter) — Enforcement
Executive Summary
The European Commission fined X €120 million under the Digital Services Act (DSA) for operating a deceptive 'blue checkmark' verification system that allowed anyone to purchase a verified badge without meaningful identity verification. The Commission found this misled users about account authenticity and undermined trust in the platform's information integrity.
What Happened
On December 5, 2025, the European Commission fined X €120 million under the Digital Services Act for operating a deceptive blue checkmark verification system. The Commission determined that X violated DSA transparency obligations by allowing anyone to purchase a verified badge through X Premium subscription without meaningful identity verification, contrary to the pre-2023 system that verified the actual identity of public figures. Additional violations cited include lack of transparency in X's advertising repository and failure to provide researchers with required access to public data.
Who Is Affected
All users of X are affected by the deceptive verification system, as they cannot reliably judge the authenticity of accounts and content they engage with on the platform. The Commission specifically noted that this system exposes users to scams, impersonation fraud, and manipulation. Researchers and the public are also impacted by restricted access to X's advertisement repository and delays in processing data access requests.
Why It Matters
This represents the first fine imposed under Europe's Digital Services Act, establishing enforcement precedent for how the EU will regulate deceptive design practices on major platforms. The case demonstrates that regulatory authorities consider verification systems fundamental to platform trust and information integrity, not merely optional features. The €120 million penalty signals that European regulators will impose substantial financial consequences for practices that undermine users' ability to assess the authenticity of information and accounts.
What You Should Do
Exercise increased caution when evaluating accounts on X, recognizing that blue checkmarks now only indicate a paid subscription rather than verified identity. Independently verify the authenticity of accounts claiming to represent public figures, organizations, or news sources through external channels before trusting their content. Be particularly vigilant about potential scams and impersonation attempts, as the current verification system provides minimal protection against fraudulent accounts.
AI-Assisted
Event summaries are generated by Claude AI from verified sources and reviewed by humans before publication.