Introduction:
BRUSSELS, July 12 – Elon Musk’s social media company, X, has been found to breach European Union online content rules. The EU tech regulators claim that X’s blue checkmark deceives users. This ruling could lead to a hefty fine and significant changes in how the platform operates.
Charges and Investigation:
The European Commission issued these charges under the Digital Services Act (DSA) after a seven-month investigation. The DSA requires large online platforms and search engines to tackle illegal content and address risks to public security.
Focus of the Charges:
The preliminary findings target X’s use of so-called dark patterns that shape user behavior, issues with advertising transparency, and restricted data access for researchers. X has disagreed with the EU’s assessment, and Elon Musk has threatened litigation.
Musk’s Response:
“We look forward to a very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth,” Musk said on X. He also claimed the Commission offered X an illegal secret deal to censor speech, which the company did not accept.
EU’s Response:
EU industry chief Thierry Breton responded, “Be our guest. There has never been — and will never be — any ‘secret deal’. With anyone. The DSA provides X (and any large platform) with the possibility to offer commitments to settle a case. Up to you to decide whether to offer commitments or not. That is how rule of law procedures work. See you (in court or not).”
Blue Checkmark Issue:
The Commission stated that X’s verified accounts, indicated by a blue checkmark, do not follow industry practices and mislead users about the authenticity of the accounts they interact with. After purchasing the platform in 2022, Musk changed the blue checkmark to signify a paid subscriber rather than a verified public figure.
Advertising Transparency:
The Commission also charged X with failing to comply with DSA requirements to provide searchable and reliable information about advertisements in an accessible library.
Data Access for Researchers:
X has been accused of blocking researchers from accessing its public data. The company has several months to respond to these charges and could face a fine of up to 6% of its global turnover if found guilty of breaching the DSA.
Potential Consequences:
“X has now the right of defense — but if our view is confirmed we will impose fines and require significant changes,” Breton said in a statement.
Ongoing Investigations:
The Commission mentioned that separate investigations are continuing into the dissemination of illegal content on X and the measures it has taken to counter disinformation.
