The European Commission has ruled that social media platform X violated the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DSA requires online platforms to take deeper measures to ensure user safety by preventing the spread of disinformation and illegal and harmful activities online.

Following a seven-month-long investigation, the Commission concluded in its preliminary findings that X has been found lacking in the areas of dark patterns, advertising transparency, and data access for researchers.

The Commission says X’s design and operation of its “verified accounts” with the “Blue checkmark” mislead users. The current system allows anyone to subscribe to a verified status, undermining user trust and enabling malicious actors to deceive the public.

X has also been charged with blocking researchers from accessing its public data and failing to require companies to provide a searchable and reliable advertisement repository.

If the Commission’s preliminary views were to be ultimately confirmed, the Commission would adopt a non-compliance decision that could entail fines of up to 6 per cent of the total worldwide annual turnover.

X is now entitled to defend itself by reviewing the Commission’s investigation documents and submitting a written response. 

Commissioner for the International Market, Thierry Breton, says, “X has now the right of defence — but if our view is confirmed, we will impose fines and require significant changes.”

The Commission has also opened formal proceedings against TikTok in February and April 2024, AliExpress in March 2024, and Meta in April and May 2024.