EU Approves X’s Transparency Plan Under Digital Services Act

The European Commission has accepted a six‑month action plan submitted by Elon Musk’s X platform to bring its services into compliance with the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The plan targets two of the three infringements that led to a €120 million fine imposed in December 2025, namely the lack of transparency in X’s advertising repository and the denial of access to public‑data for qualified researchers. X will add searchable filters, display results directly in the ad database, shorten query response times, publish full ad content and destination URLs, and provide API access. It will also streamline researcher‑application procedures, grant free data access and amend its terms to allow scraping of public data. An external independent audit must be completed within six months, and the Commission will supervise implementation under an enhanced monitoring regime. The third infringement – the paid blue‑check badge that misled users – was addressed separately by rebranding the badge as “Premium.” X is contesting the fine in EU courts, while the Commission continues broader investigations, including issues surrounding AI‑generated deep‑fakes.