European Commission imposes first fine under the DSA – Platform X fined - Office of Electronic Communications

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European Commission imposes first fine under the DSA – Platform X fined

05 December 2025

The European Commission today announced a fine of 120 million EUR against platform X for breaching transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This is the first decision of its kind issued under the Digital Services Act.

According to the Commission, platform X misled users by offering a paid "blue verification checkmark" that did not actually confirm the identity of the account holder. The Commission believes this may have led to misleading assessments of the authenticity of content published on the platform and increased the risk of impersonation and other forms of abuse. The Commission noted that while the DSA does not impose a requirement to verify users, it clearly prohibits suggesting that verification has been carried out when, in fact it has not.

Concerns also arose regarding the operation of the X ad repository. The Commission indicated that the system providing advertising information does not meet the DSA's transparency and accessibility requirements. It lacks basic data, including information about the content used. The content of advertisements, their subject matter, and the identity of the funding entity. Additional technical barriers, such as delays in query processing, make it difficult for researchers and social organizations to analyze advertising campaigns, which is crucial for detecting fraud and disinformation activities.

The Commission also questioned how X allows researchers to access the platform's public data. The applicable terms of service prohibit, among other things, the independent downloading of data by authorized researchers, and the procedures used – according to the Commission – impose unnecessary restrictions that significantly hinder the conduct of analyses on systemic risks in the EU.

Platform X now has 60 working days to submit a corrective action plan to the Commission, in particular regarding the elimination of misleading practices related to blue verification checks referred to in Article 25(1) of the DSA.