X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, added a disclaimer to its blue checkmark program after pressure from the EU.

This measure addresses allegations from EU regulators that the feature is misleading and violates the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Last week, X began displaying a message to users about the purpose of the blue checkmark.

The blue badge now signals paid subscribers who are “active, secure, and non-deceptive,” not verified public figures.

This update comes as X faces a potential fine under the DSA.

The EU may fine X up to 6% of global revenue, possibly including Musk’s other businesses.

While the EU acknowledged X’s update, its formal investigation is still ongoing.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Verification’s evolution: from trust safeguard to subscription feature

Twitter’s blue checkmark began in 2009 as a direct response to impersonation issues, particularly after a lawsuit from St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa over fake accounts1.

For over a decade, verification served primarily as an anti-impersonation tool to authenticate accounts belonging to public figures, organizations, and journalists, helping users identify credible information sources.

This trust mechanism was considered so important that Twitter temporarily halted its verification program in 2017 following controversy over verifying a white nationalist, leading to a three-year verification hiatus while the company reassessed its approach2.

Musk’s transition of the blue checkmark to a paid subscription feature in April 2023 represented a fundamental shift, transforming what was originally a trust and safety mechanism into a revenue-generating product feature.

The EU’s current investigation highlights the tension between monetization goals and consumer protection regulations, with regulators specifically concerned that the new approach “does not correspond to industry practice and deceives users.”

2️⃣ The challenging economics of monetizing verification