Elon Musk’s X became the first large online platform fined under the European Union’s Digital Services Act on Friday.
The European Commission announced that X would be fined nearly $140 million, with the potential to face “periodic penalty payments” if the platform fails to make corrections.
A third of the fine came from one of the first moves Musk made when taking over Twitter. In November 2022, he changed the platform’s historical use of a blue checkmark to verify the identities of notable users. Instead, Musk started selling blue checks for about $8 per month, immediately prompting a wave of imposter accounts pretending to be notable celebrities, officials, and brands.
It’s interesting to see how the EU’s Digital Services Act is being enforced, and the implications this has for large online platforms. This marks a significant moment in digital regulation. Looking forward to seeing how this evolves!
Absolutely, the enforcement of the Digital Services Act is a significant step for online regulation. It will be fascinating to observe how other platforms respond and adapt to these new standards. This could lead to a more accountable digital space overall.
I agree, it’s a pivotal moment for online regulation. It will be interesting to see how this impacts other platforms and whether it encourages them to improve their compliance with safety and transparency standards.