X plays up blue checkmark disclaimer to stave off possible EU fine, source says

The Commission said it took note of X’s announcement [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Elon Musk’s social media company X has highlighted a disclaimer to its blue checkmark in an attempt to head off a possible hefty fine from EU antitrust regulators, a person familiar with the matter said.

The European Commission in July last year charged X with deceiving users, saying that the blue checkmark does not correspond to industry practices and that anyone can pay to get a “verified” status.

The blue checkmark had previously indicated that an account belonged to a public figure whose identity was verified but Musk changed it to indicate it belonged to a paid subscriber after acquiring X in 2022.

X has not admitted wrongdoing and the prominent display of the blue checkmark disclaimer is not part of any settlement proposal with the EU tech enforcer, the person said. The prominent display started a week ago.

The Commission said it took note of X’s announcement.

“Our investigation related to the blue checkmark is ongoing,” a spokesperson said.

X did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The EU probe is under the Digital Services Act which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content or risk fines as much as 6% of their global annual revenue.

Bloomberg was the first to report on the blue checkmark disclaimer.