Overview
- EU regulators found X in breach of transparency rules for deceptive paid blue checkmarks, an opaque ad repository, and blocking researchers’ access to public data.
- Officials called the fine proportionate, allocating €45 million to the verification design issue, €35 million to advertising transparency, and €40 million to researcher data access.
- X must present its plan to change the blue-check system within 60 working days and detail fixes for the other violations within 90 days, and it can appeal the decision in EU courts.
- Separate DSA probes into X’s handling of illegal content and information manipulation continue, with further outcomes still to come.
- U.S. Vice President JD Vance condemned the action as censorship, while EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said the case concerns transparency and enforcement of the law.