Elon Musk's X looks to allay EU regulator with blue checkmark disclaimer

EU has concerns the platform’s blue checkmark is deceptive and should be overhauled

Elon Musk’s social network X is showing users a prominent disclaimer about the platform’s blue checkmark programme in a bid to appease concerns from the EU’s content regulators that it is deceptive and should be overhauled.

Elon Musk’s social network X is showing users a prominent disclaimer about the platform’s blue checkmark programme in a bid to appease concerns from the EU’s content regulators that it is deceptive and should be overhauled.

X started showing users a message explaining the meaning of the blue check that appears on some user profiles last week. The notice was intended to demonstrate that the allegedly infringing behaviour had been brought to an end, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Before Mr Musk’s takeover of the platform in 2022, the blue checkmark was assigned to accounts verified as belonging to journalists, politicians and other public figures. From April 2023, the badge was assigned to “active, secure, and non-deceptive” users who subscribed to X’s premium features, “regardless of perceived notability”, according to the disclosure.

X is seeking to mitigate a potential fine related to an investigation under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The European Commission has been examining how the platform handles illegal content and disinformation as well as deceptive design. EU regulators earlier warned X that it could slap the company with heavy penalties for the alleged infringements.

In July 2024, the commission argued that the revamped checkmark was in breach of the DSA in that it did “not correspond to industry practice and deceives users”. The regulator also said that X had infringed the DSA’s rules on advertising transparency and access to data for researchers.

Fines under the DSA can reach as much as 6% of a company’s annual global sales. The EU may calculate the fines by including revenue from Mr Musk’s other businesses, including SpaceX and Neuralink, Bloomberg reported last year.

A spokesperson for the commission said the institution took note of X’s announcement, and that its investigation into the blue checkmark is ongoing. X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg