The European Commission has fined X €45 million over its paid blue checkmark system, arguing that the new verification model may mislead users. In its decision, the Commission cited a parody “Donald Duck” account as an example, suggesting that a blue checkmark on such an account could give users the false impression of authenticity. The €45 million penalty is only part of a much larger enforcement action under the Digital Services Act. In total, X faces nearly €120 million in fines, including penalties for allegedly failing to provide sufficient data access to approved researchers and for operating an ad transparency repository that the Commission deemed technically inadequate. The Commission has warned that continued non-compliance could result in further sanctions, including the possibility of restricting X’s operations within the EU.