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The European Commission’s December 5, 2025 decision found that X’s paid blue-checkmark system breached the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA): users could obtain a status presented as “verified” without meaningful checks of who controlled the account. The Commission said that design could mislead users about an account’s authenticity. The finding was one of three transparency-related breaches behind a €120 million fine—not a ban on paid subscriptions or a claim that every blue-checkmarked account was fraudulent.
What the Commission objected to
The issue was not simply that X charged for a badge. It was the gap between the badge’s familiar “verified” meaning and what the paid feature established. Under the system criticized by the Commission, a user could qualify for the status through a subscription without X meaningfully verifying the person or organization behind the account. Users could therefore infer that X had checked identity or authenticity when it had not.
That distinction matters because a badge can influence how people assess an account—especially when it claims to represent a public figure, company, government body, customer-support team, or financial service. A paid badge alone should not be treated as proof that an account is genuine, that its operator is who they claim to be, or that its posts are accurate.
The Commission’s finding concerns the design and impression of the feature. It does not mean every subscriber intended to deceive anyone, or that every account with a badge was an impersonator. Nor does identity verification, where it exists, guarantee that an account’s content is truthful.
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What the DSA says—and does not say
The relevant rule is Article 25(1) of the DSA, which prohibits online platforms from designing or operating interfaces in ways that deceive or manipulate users or materially impair their ability to make free and informed decisions. The Commission applied that principle to the meaning conveyed by X’s “verified” presentation.
The DSA does not require platforms to verify every user’s identity. The Commission’s position was narrower: a platform should not present a status in a way that suggests meaningful verification if that verification has not taken place. Paid subscriptions and paid badges are not automatically unlawful; the question is whether the label and design accurately convey what the platform has checked.
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“Paid,” “eligible for a subscription,” “identity checked,” “authentic account,” and “reliable posts” are different claims. A badge that blurs them can give users more confidence than the underlying checks justify.
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- December 18, 2023: The Commission opened formal DSA proceedings against X, including an investigation into the blue-checkmark feature, advertising transparency, researcher access, and other concerns.
- July 12, 2024: The Commission announced preliminary findings that the blue-checkmark design could deceive users. These were not yet a final ruling or the €120 million penalty.
- December 5, 2025: The Commission issued its final non-compliance decision and imposed a €120 million fine for three DSA breaches.
- July 16, 2026: The Commission accepted an X action plan addressing the advertising repository and researcher access. This was a compliance follow-up; the announcement does not describe it as cancelling or overturning the earlier blue-checkmark finding.
The distinction between the 2024 preliminary view and the 2025 final decision is important: reports describing the preliminary findings as the final ruling collapse two stages of the enforcement process.
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Why the fine was €120 million
The checkmark finding was only one part of the penalty. The Commission said the decision covered three transparency-related breaches:
- Deceptive design of the paid “verified accounts” feature: the badge could suggest meaningful verification that the system did not provide.
- Advertising repository shortcomings: the Commission found the repository did not meet the DSA’s transparency and accessibility requirements. Such repositories are intended to help people understand ads, including who paid for them and how they were targeted or distributed.
- Insufficient researcher access to public data: the Commission found X had not provided researchers with the access required by the DSA, which supports independent study of matters such as scams, coordinated manipulation, and systemic risks.
The Commission said it considered factors including the nature and seriousness of the infringements in relation to affected EU users and how long they lasted. The legally operative amount is €120 million; any conversion to another currency depends on the exchange rate and date.
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What a blue checkmark should—and should not—tell you
| Possible inference | What the badge establishes on its own |
|---|---|
| “This account paid for a subscription.” | It may indicate a paid product or status, depending on the account and region; it does not establish identity. |
| “X checked who controls this account.” | Do not assume this from a paid badge alone. The Commission’s finding concerned a system in which payment did not amount to meaningful identity verification. |
| “This is an authentic account for a named person or institution.” | A badge by itself is not conclusive proof. Check the institution’s official website or another trusted channel. |
| “The posts are reliable.” | A badge does not establish the accuracy of posts, even where identity has been checked. |
For financial, political, health, emergency, or customer-support claims, check the account’s history and linked sources, then confirm important information through an official website or an independent authoritative source. These are practical precautions, not steps the Commission requires users to take.
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A final DSA non-compliance decision can require corrective action as well as impose a fine. Failure to comply can lead to further enforcement, including periodic penalty payments. The Commission’s July 2026 update shows that the process continued after the fine: it accepted X’s action plan for the advertising-repository and researcher-access issues.
That update does not, by itself, establish that all blue checkmarks were removed, that paid subscriptions were prohibited in the EU, or exactly what the current EU-facing badge interface looks like. Possible ways to address the underlying concern could include clearer labels or disclosures, distinct account signals, or meaningful identity checks—but the cited compliance update does not confirm a specific badge remedy.
The decision concerns X’s service in the EU under EU law. It should not be read as a worldwide ruling that every user was deceived or as a determination that the same legal result applies in other jurisdictions.
Quick Recap
Sources
- European Commission: €120 million fine and final DSA decision
- European Commission: decision announcement PDF
- European Commission: July 2024 preliminary findings
- European Commission: opening of proceedings
- European Commission: acceptance of X’s action plan
- European Commission: DSA overview
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