Elon Musk’s social media company X has been fined 120 million euros (£105 million) by the EU over its blue tick badges, in a decision likely to draw a furious reaction in Washington.
According to the EU Commission, X misled users through the “deceptive” design of its blue badges and failed to meet transparency requirements.
The EU sanction against X followed a two-year-long investigation under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content.
In a statement, the European Commission’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen said X’s modest fine was proportionate.
“We are not here to impose the highest fines. We are here to make sure that our digital legislation is enforced and if you comply with our rules, you don’t get the fine. And it’s as simple as that,” she told reporters.
Ahead of the EU decision, US Vice President JD Vance said on X: “Rumours swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage.”
X will now have between 60 to 90 working days to come up with measures to comply with the DSA, with the time frame depending on the issue.
Rival TikTok recently staved off a penalty with concessions. But DSA fines can be as high as 6% of a company’s annual global revenue.
The Commission said it would continue its investigation into the dissemination of illegal content on X and measures taken to combat information manipulation.
More to follow…
