The EU determines that X’s blue checkmarks are “deceptive”

The EU has been investigating X (formerly Twitter) for some time now to check whether the company complies with its DSA (Digital Services Act). Part of the investigation has concluded with the organization determining that paid blue checkmarks are deceptive to users.

The investigation by an EU commission began on December 18, 2023. The organization was examining issues such as potential deceptive practices, transparency (especially in advertising), and data access for independent researchers. As a result, X is the first company officially accused of violating DSA legislation.

X’s blue checkmarks are deceptive for users, the EU says

The EU Commission found the blue checkmark verification system a deceptive practice, as it makes it difficult for X users to know whether an account is authentic or not. Currently, getting one only requires paying for a supported tier. The platform does not require any additional data. Therefore, the blue checkmark is more of a premium-tier “perk” than a real verification system. However, there are many users who associate it with account authenticity.

The investigation also found cases of profiles using the system to intentionally mislead people on X. So, the EU sees it as a problem that requires a short-term solution. The EU also concluded that X is not complying with its requirements on transparency in advertising and the availability of data to independent researchers either.

Following the conclusions of the investigation, X will have the opportunity to defend itself. However, if nothing changes after the defense, the company will be forced to make notable tweaks to the system. If it continues to violate the legislation, X could receive a fine of up to 6% of its gross revenue. Elon Musk’s company qualifies as a Very Large Online Platform under DSA guidelines. This is because it has more than 45 million monthly active users in EU member countries.

Other matters remain under investigation

The investigation started in 2013 also included other areas. For example, the distribution of illegal content or moderation on posts related to the war between Israel and Hamas. However, the EU confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing for those issues.

Lately, the EU has been actively investigating large companies for compliance with regulations such as the DSA or the DMA. Regarding the latter, Apple was charged for violations related to the App Store, while Google and Microsoft’s moves in the AI segment are under vigilance.