Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, is accused of breaking the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) by misleading users. Margrethe Vestager, a top official at the European Commission, pointed out several issues: using tricks to deceive users, not having a proper ad database, and blocking researchers from accessing data. These actions raise worries about transparency and how the platform treats its users.
One significant issue raised is X’s account verification process. Unlike other social media platforms that carefully verify public figures, X offers the blue verification check mark to anyone who pays for a monthly subscription.
This approach allows users with malicious intent to gain undue trust and credibility, potentially deceiving other users. The EU agency criticized this practice for not meeting industry standards and contributing to user deception.
Additionally, X faces accusations of violating the EU’s advertising policies, particularly regarding data access. The DSA mandates that companies maintain a searchable ad repository, a requirement X has allegedly failed to meet. Furthermore, X has been criticized for not providing adequate access to its public data for researchers and for increasing the prices for data access while banning data scraping activities on the platform.
The consequences for X could be severe if it is found guilty of these DSA violations. The platform could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue.
The EU’s formal investigation into X began last year following the discovery of Hamas and Hezbollah-related accounts on the platform, which were reportedly granted verification and allowed to disseminate hate content. This has prompted further scrutiny of X’s content moderation practices and efforts to combat misinformation.
The DSA, introduced last year, aims to regulate online entities and ensure they operate transparently and responsibly. One key rule is the avoidance of “dark patterns”—design elements that subtly manipulate users into sharing personal data or making decisions that benefit the company. The DSA seeks to prevent such manipulative practices, ensuring users have a clear and fair online experience without being tricked into unwanted actions.
