According to a source familiar with the matter, X, Elon Musk’s social media company, has updated its blue checkmark disclaimer in an effort to potentially avoid a significant fine from EU antitrust regulators. The European Commission had accused X last year of misleading users by offering the blue checkmark as a verification status that could be obtained by payment rather than industry standards. Initially signifying an account as belonging to a verified public figure, Musk changed the blue checkmark to denote a paid subscriber status following X’s acquisition in 2022. X has not acknowledged any wrongdoing, and the recent prominent display of the blue checkmark disclaimer is not part of a settlement proposal with the EU. The Commission has confirmed that its investigation into the matter is ongoing. As per the Digital Services Act, large online platforms must take stronger actions against illegal content, or face fines of up to 6% of their global revenue. Bloomberg first reported on the blue checkmark disclaimer.
