Elon Musk's X Accused of Violating EU Digital Laws, Musk Claims EU Offered Illegal Secret Deal

The European Union (EU) has accused Elon Musk's social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), of multiple violations of the Digital Services Act, which could potentially result in substantial fines.

Violations of the Digital Services Act by X

One major violation involves the platform's verification system. Previously, verification checkmarks were reserved exclusively for verified users such as celebrities, politicians, and influential figures. However, since Musk acquired X in 2022, the verification mark became available to anyone willing to pay $8 per month. This change has raised concerns about the potential for users to be misled by malicious actors, as reported by India TV.

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According to EU regulators in Brussels, this policy negatively impacts users’ ability to make informed decisions about the authenticity of accounts and the content they encounter, as cited by the Financial Times.

Potential Fines for Violating the Digital Services Act

If the EU's findings are substantiated, X could face a fine of up to 6% of its total global revenue. In 2021, the last year X published its revenue figures, the company earned $5.1 billion.

Other Digital Services Act Rules Violated by X

Beyond the verification issue, the EU has also accused X of violating rules related to dark patterns, advertising transparency, and data access for researchers. The Digital Services Act, which came into effect this year, prohibits dark patterns—subtle design cues that influence users to divulge personal data or make purchases.

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The EU also alleges that X failed to comply with advertising transparency requirements and did not provide researchers access to its public data, as mandated by the Digital Services Act.

Elon Musk's Response to Digital Services Act Allegations

In response, Musk claimed in a post on X that, "The European Commission offered X an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us. The other platforms accepted that deal. X did not."

Thierry Breton, the EU’s Commissioner for the Internal Market, refuted Musk’s claim, stating, “Be our guest @elonmusk. There has never been — and will never be — any ‘secret deal’. With anyone."

Breton clarified, “To be extra clear: it’s YOUR team who asked the Commission to explain the process for settlement and to clarify our concerns. We did it in line with established regulatory procedures. 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).”

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Other Companies Under EU Investigation

In addition to X, the European Commission is also investigating TikTok, Alibaba’s AliExpress, and Meta. According to CNBC, this investigation is part of the EU’s broader effort to regulate digital giants like Google and Meta, particularly regarding how they target users with advertisements.

In India, X reportedly banned 194,053 accounts between May 26 and June 25, 2024, primarily due to issues of non-consensual nudity and child sexual exploitation. Additionally, 1,991 accounts were deleted for promoting terrorism, as reported by India TV.

News Source:- hindustantimes.com