What happened
01
The decision was announced on 5 December 2025.
02
It was the first fine under the Digital Services Act.
03
The Commission said the “verified” badge suggests a check that does not take place.
04
The decision also covered X’s ad repository and researcher data access.
Why this is a design failure
A trust signal anyone can buy makes impersonation and scams look credible.
The fair alternative
Only show a verification badge when identity was actually checked, and explain what it means.
Do
Show a trust badge only for what was actually checked.
Don’t
Don’t let a paid feature look like verification.
Company response
X has appealed the decision to the EU General Court.