X gets a €120M fine for paid blue checks
X just got fined €120 million by the European Commission, the first big penalty under the new Digital Services Act.
The main issues? X's paid blue checkmarks confused people about who is real, and their ad transparency tools did not actually help spot scams or fake accounts.
Researchers also struggled to access public data because of restrictions.
EU is serious about holding platforms accountable
This is a wake-up call for social platforms: you cannot just put a blue tick on anyone or hide ad information and expect no pushback.
The EU wants companies to protect users and be open about what happens online—especially as scams and misinformation keep growing.
X has 60 working days to propose measures to address the paid blue-check issue and 90 working days to submit an action plan for the ads repository and researcher access, underscoring Europe's focus on platform accountability.