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The European Commission ultimately fined X €120 million on December 5, 2025, after finding that its paid blue-check design could mislead users about account authenticity. The case also covered X’s advertising repository and access for independent researchers. On July 16, 2026, the Commission accepted X’s corrective-action plan, beginning a monitored implementation process.
What the Commission found misleading about X’s blue check
Under the former Twitter system, a checkmark generally signaled that the platform had authenticated an account as belonging to the person, company or institution named in its profile. X’s paid system changed that meaning: users could obtain a “verified” status by meeting subscription conditions without meaningful verification of who controlled the account, according to the Commission’s final finding.
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The Commission’s objection was not that platforms may never sell subscriptions or display badges. Its concern was the mismatch between the badge’s implied authenticity signal and the absence of meaningful identity verification. That ambiguity could make it harder for people to distinguish an authentic account from an impersonator, increasing risks such as scams and manipulation. (European Commission decision)
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The decision does not establish that every blue-check account is fraudulent. It means a paid checkmark, by itself, should not be treated as reliable proof that X independently authenticated the account holder.
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The three parts of the Digital Services Act case
| Issue | What the Commission alleged or found | Relevant DSA provision |
|---|---|---|
| Blue-check design | X could let users buy “verified” status without meaningful identity or authenticity checks, making authenticity judgments more difficult. | Article 25, deceptive design |
| Advertising repository | The ad database was not sufficiently searchable or accessible and allegedly omitted information such as ad content, subject matter and the legal entity paying for an advertisement. | Article 39, advertising transparency |
| Researcher access | X’s terms and application procedures created unnecessary barriers for eligible researchers seeking public data, including contractual restrictions related to scraping. | Article 40(12), researcher data access |
The Commission identified these areas in its preliminary findings of July 12, 2024, and included all three in the final penalty. (Preliminary findings; Final decision)
What law did X allegedly violate?
The investigation was conducted under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which applies enhanced transparency and risk-management duties to very large online platforms. The DSA addresses deceptive interface practices, requires advertising transparency and provides for qualified researchers’ access to data relevant to systemic-risk research. The Commission’s general DSA overview explains the enforcement framework and the potential maximum penalty. (European Commission DSA overview)
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In July 2024, the Commission described its conclusions as preliminary findings, not a final ruling. It cited Articles 25, 39 and 40(12). The final decision came later, after the formal proceedings had continued.
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| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| December 18, 2023 | The Commission opened formal DSA proceedings into X. |
| July 12, 2024 | The Commission issued preliminary findings on the blue-check design, advertising repository and researcher access. |
| December 5, 2025 | The Commission adopted its first DSA non-compliance decision and imposed a €120 million fine. |
| July 16, 2026 | The Commission accepted X’s corrective-action plan and retained monitoring and audit requirements. |
The July 2024 announcement said a confirmed DSA violation could lead to a penalty of up to 6% of a provider’s total worldwide annual turnover. That was the statutory ceiling available at the time, not an assertion that X would automatically pay 6% of revenue. (Commission preliminary announcement)
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How much was X actually fined?
The final penalty was €120 million, imposed on December 5, 2025. It was not a €120 million fine solely for the blue badge: the amount covered the three transparency-related violations together—deceptive checkmark design, shortcomings in the advertising repository and inadequate researcher access. (Commission final decision)
That distinction matters when comparing the headline-grabbing “up to 6%” figure with the outcome. The 6% number described the maximum legal ceiling for a DSA penalty; €120 million is the amount in the final non-compliance decision.
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What the decision means for people using X
Do not rely on a blue check alone when deciding whether an account is genuine. Check the handle closely, compare the account with an organization’s official website or another independently trusted channel, and treat urgent requests for money, cryptocurrency, passwords or recovery codes as warning signs. A badge may represent a subscription or platform status rather than meaningful identity authentication.
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These precautions are especially important where a post claims official authority, solicits payment or directs you to a login page. The Commission’s concern was that the badge’s presentation could make authenticity judgments harder, not that every account displaying one had been proven fake.
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What X agreed to change
The action plan accepted on July 16, 2026 sets out commitments for the advertising repository and researcher access:
- More searchable advertising-repository features and faster response times.
- Additional information about advertisements and an API for repository access.
- A faster screening process for eligible researchers.
- Free access to public data for eligible researchers.
- Revised terms that would not contractually prohibit eligible researchers from scraping public data.
- An independent external audit of the changes.
X was given six months to implement the measures and submit the audit. On that timetable, completion and audit submission would fall around January 2027, although that date is an inference from the Commission’s stated six-month period, not a separately announced deadline. The Commission said it would monitor implementation and consider concerns raised by the Board for Digital Services. (Action-plan announcement)
What the EU decision does not mean
- It does not ban paid X subscriptions or every paid badge.
- It does not require X to verify the identity of every user.
- It does not mean every blue-check account is fraudulent.
- It does not mean X was fined 6% of its worldwide revenue.
- It does not resolve every separate EU investigation involving X’s content, recommender systems or information-manipulation practices.
Bottom line
The original “may face huge fines” story described preliminary findings from July 2024. The current legal outcome is more specific: the Commission imposed a €120 million DSA fine in December 2025 for three transparency failures, including a blue-check design that could imply identity verification where meaningful verification had not occurred. The July 2026 action plan starts the next phase—measured implementation, audit and Commission monitoring—while a blue check remains insufficient evidence of who is behind an account.
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