Overview
- Brussels fined X for three transparency breaches: a paid blue check deemed deceptive, inadequate ad library disclosures, and blocked researcher access to public data.
- The penalty totals €120 million, broken down as €45 million for verification, €35 million for advertising transparency failures, and €40 million for researcher data access.
- X must address the verification issue within 60 days and submit an action plan within 90 days on ads transparency and researcher access, and it can appeal the decision.
- X disabled the European Commission’s advertising account and accused the EU executive of trying to exploit an ad‑composer feature to boost its own post announcing the fine.
- Senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, criticized the ruling, while the Commission said the case targets transparency and other probes into X’s content and algorithms are ongoing.