In a significant move against social media practices, European Union tech regulators have ruled that Elon Musk’s social media company, X, breached EU online content rules. The controversy centers around X’s blue checkmark system, which the EU alleges has deceived users.
These charges have emerged from a preliminary finding under the new Digital Services Act (DSA) following a comprehensive, seven-month-long investigation. This ruling could lead to a substantial fine and necessitate pivotal changes in how X operates.
The primary issue identified by the EU Commission revolves around X’s blue checkmark, typically associated with verified public figures and legitimate organizations. The investigation discovered that individuals and entities not adhering to stringent verification criteria could purchase this coveted mark.
Consequently, this practice has fostered a spread of misinformation, misleading users to believe that these accounts are credible and authentic. Such an environment undermines the platform’s integrity, posing significant risks in critical sectors like healthcare, politics, and finance.
Additionally, the charges highlight X’s use of so-called “dark patterns,” which are interface designs that manipulate user behavior in a potentially unethical manner. The investigation also scrutinized X’s advertising transparency and data accessibility for researchers.
Under the DSA, very large online platforms and search engines are now mandated to take more rigorous measures to counteract illegal content and mitigate risks to public safety.
The ruling underscores the EU’s intensified efforts to regulate digital platforms and enforce ethical standards in the digital landscape. This case marks the first set of charges issued under the DSA, indicative of the EU’s commitment to holding platforms accountable.
As the investigation progresses, other social media entities will likely face similar scrutiny, driving a broader shift towards more transparent and secure online environments.
In response, X has acknowledged the EU’s findings and expressed its intent to revise its verification policies. The company has emphasized its ongoing efforts to better distinguish between genuinely verified accounts and those that have paid for the blue checkmark. This includes clearer labeling and implementing more rigorous checks.
After buying the platform, then known as Twitter, in 2022, Musk altered the use of the blue checkmark, which previously indicated that an account belonged to a public figure whose identity was verified but was changed to indicate it belonged to a paid subscriber.
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.
The commission said X had also failed to comply with a DSA requirement to provide searchable and reliable information about advertisements in a library for easy access.
X was also charged with blocking researchers from accessing its public data. The company, which will have several months to respond to the charges, could face a fine of 6 percent of its global turnover if found guilty of breaching the DSA.
“X has now the right of defense — but if our view is confirmed, we will impose fines and require significant changes,” EU industry chief Thierry Breton said in a statement.
Musk, known for mocking public figures criticizing his companies, responded to Breton on X: How we know you’re real?
“We look forward to a very public battle in court so that the people of Europe can know the truth”.
In a response on X to EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager, Musk wrote: “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.”
The ongoing investigation and the intense exchange between Musk and EU officials underscore the heightened tension between regulatory bodies and major digital platforms.
As the inquiry unfolds, the outcome could force X, and potentially other platforms, to recalibrate their operational and business strategies to align with more stringent regulatory expectations, thereby shaping the future conduct and accountability in the digital space.
Source: TRT World
