Elon Musk’s social media platform X is in breach of the European Union’s online content law, according to preliminary findings by regulators that could lead to hefty fines for the company.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-member bloc, announced on Friday that the controversial social media platform is violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to “dark patterns, advertising transparency and data access for researchers”.
The investigation, which opened in December 2023, arrived at its preliminary findings by analysing internal company documents and interviewing experts. The DSA requires large online platforms and search engines to do more to tackle illegal content and risks to public security.
It found that X, formerly Twitter, uses its so-called “blue checkmark” in a way that does not correspond to industry practices and “deceives users”.
“Since anyone can subscribe to obtain such a ‘verified’ status, it negatively affects users’ ability to make free and …