Overview
- EU regulators found three transparency breaches at X: a deceptive paid blue check system, inadequate advertising disclosure, and blocked researcher access to public data.
- Officials outlined a fine breakdown of €45m for verification practices, €35m for ad-transparency failures, and €40m for denying data access to researchers.
- X must address the blue-check issue within 60 days and submit plans within 90 days on advertising transparency and researcher access or face additional penalties.
- The Commission said the decision targets transparency obligations and applied proportionality, noting the DSA allows fines up to 6% of global revenue.
- Senior U.S. officials sharply criticized the move as targeting American tech, while parts of the EU’s wider probe into X’s handling of illegal content and manipulation continue alongside separate DSA actions such as commitments from TikTok.