The European Commission has accused Elon Musk’s X of deceiving users and breaking digital content rules, which could result in a substantial fine. The commission, the EU’s executive arm, began investigating last year to see if X violated the Digital Services Act (DSA).
On Friday, the commission’s preliminary findings indicated that X has breached rules on dark patterns, advertising transparency, and data access for researchers. Dark patterns are deceptive tactics used to manipulate users. The commission also criticized X’s use of the blue checkmark for verified accounts, saying it allows anyone to subscribe and get verified status, leading to potential misuse by malicious actors.
Additionally, the commission accused X of creating barriers to advertising transparency and blocking researchers from accessing public data, which the DSA mandates.
EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager stated, “X does not comply with the DSA in key transparency areas, using dark patterns and misleading users, failing to provide an adequate ad repository, and blocking data access for researchers.”
Elon Musk responded on X, claiming the commission offered an “illegal secret deal” to avoid a fine if X censored speech, a deal he alleges other platforms accepted.
If the commission’s views are upheld, X could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue. EU industry chief Thierry Breton noted that X has the right to defend itself, but fines and significant changes will be enforced if the commission’s stance is confirmed.
The commission is also investigating TikTok, Alibaba’s AliExpress, and Meta for similar issues as the EU intensifies its scrutiny of major tech companies with the introduction of the Digital Services Act.
