EU fines Elon Musk's X €120 million for blue-tick verification violations under Digital Services Act
The European Union has fined Elon Musk's social media platform X €120 million (approximately £105 million) for non-compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), marking the first enforcement action against a platform under this regulation.
EU regulators determined that X's paid blue-tick verification system misleads users by failing to meaningfully verify account identities, thus exposing users to scams and impersonation risks. The DSA governs platform content, data, and advertising, while the Digital Markets Act (DMA) addresses business practices.
The fine's amount reflects the gravity of the infringements, the number of affected EU users, and the duration over which these issues persisted. In addition to the blue-tick concerns, the EU cited X's lack of advertising transparency and denial of public data access to researchers as part of its non-compliance.
Following Elon Musk's takeover, X overhauled its verification system in 2022, replacing traditional verification with a paid Premium tier that requires a display name, profile picture, a verified phone number, and recent activity. However, this system does not include robust identity checks.
X must now outline the steps it will take to achieve compliance or face further periodic fines. The US reaction included criticism from officials such as Senator Marco Rubio and FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who framed the EU's move as an attack on American technology and an act of censorship.
Overall, this case underscores the EU's resolve to enforce tech regulations through the Digital Services Act to ensure safer online platforms for users.
