Europe fines Elon Musk for misleading blue X check

Already in July 2024, the Brussels authorities had established that The paid verification system has been specifically criticized for its misleading nature: by allowing anyone to purchase “verified” status, the platform makes it difficult to determine the authenticity of accounts. The Commission stated in its note that, although the DSA does not impose mandatory user verification, it categorically prohibits online platforms from making false statements regarding the verification status of their members.

Europe’s hard line was reiterated by Henna Virkkunen, the Union’s technology manager, who underlined that deceiving users and obscuring information have no place in the European digital ecosystem. According to the Commission, the DSA was created to protect users’ rights and provide researchers with the tools to identify potential threats, with the ultimate goal of restoring trust in the online environment. With this first non-compliance decision, the EU intends to hold the company accountable for undermining these rights and shirking its transparency responsibilities.

European regulations provide for fines of up to 6% of global turnover for DSA violations. Since X is a private company, acquired by Musk in 2022 and brought under the control of his artificial intelligence company, X AI, in March 2025, calculating the applicable cap remains a complex issue. The company has the right to appeal the decision, but will still have to inform the EU within 60 working days on the measures it intends to take to correct the misleading use of the blue ticks, and within 90 days for other violations found, under penalty of the application of further financial sanctions.

According to reconstructions, European legislators carefully weighed the size of the fine, seeking a balance between the need to create an exemplary precedent for other technology companies and the risk of triggering trade tensions with the new US administration led by Donald Trump. The investigation launched in 2023, which also concerns moderation practices and the spread of illegal or harmful content, remains ongoing and could lead to additional measures in the future, keeping attention high on Musk’s giant.