Elon Musk’s social media platform X plans to change how its verification system works in Europe after regulators imposed a major financial penalty. European authorities fined the company 120 million euros after concluding that the current blue checkmark system misleads users about account authenticity. The company has now submitted proposed fixes, and regulators will review whether those changes meet European rules under the Digital Services Act.
The dispute centers on the meaning of the blue checkmark. For years, the badge confirmed that an account belonged to a verified public figure, journalist, or organization. Musk changed that system after buying the platform in 2022 and introduced a paid subscription model that allowed anyone to obtain the checkmark. European regulators argued that this shift confused users and weakened trust in identity signals across the platform.
Reuters reports that X has already submitted remedies related to the verification feature, and the European Commission will now review those proposals before deciding the next step.
Why the EU fined X
The European Commission launched an investigation that lasted nearly two years under the Digital Services Act. Regulators concluded that the paid verification system did not match long standing industry practices because users could purchase a verification badge without identity confirmation. Authorities said this design risks misleading users about the credibility of accounts.
The Commission will assess the changes proposed by X and determine whether they fix the concerns tied to the blue checkmark system in Europe. The decision will influence how verification works across the platform in the region and could also shape future enforcement under the Digital Services Act.
