Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty and Security, Hennah Virkkunen, emphasized that the main goal of this step is to ensure compliance with Europe’s digital legislation.
Regulators noted that X implements account verification with a "blue checkmark" in a way that may mislead users regarding the authenticity of profiles and the reliability of content. Moreover, the service also violates advertising transparency rules and does not provide the necessary data for oversight.
The company has been given 60 days to rectify the violations related to account verification and 90 days to address issues concerning advertising transparency and data access.
The investigation into X began in 2023, and by the summer of 2024, the European Commission concluded that there were violations in the platform's operations. The EU is also continuing checks aimed at combating illegal content and preventing misinformation manipulation.
This step has provoked a negative reaction from the United States. Vice President JD Vance accused Brussels of unwarranted attacks on American companies, claiming on X that the platform is being punished for rejecting censorship.
He added, "The EU should protect free speech, not persecute American companies for nonsense."
In response to the accusations, Commissioner Virkkunen stated that the fine is proportional and not related to censorship. She clarified that the decision took into account the severity of the violations, their impact on users, and the duration for which they existed.
Previously, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the digital laws enacted in the EU and threatened to impose new tariffs on countries whose regulations, in Trump's view, could harm American businesses. Despite pressure from Washington, the European Union insists on adhering to its regulatory standards.
