The European Commission has opened an investigation into the social network X (formerly Twitter) for possible violations of the Digital Services Act, including user deception and non-transparent advertising. The company faces a significant fine if the allegations are confirmed.
Investigation against X
DSA violation allegations
The European Union's executive body has initiated an audit of Elon Musk's X social platform for possible non-compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulatory act obliges large technology companies to strengthen control over the content on their resources. This is reported by CNBC.
Preliminary conclusions of the European Commission
On July 12, the European Commission published the preliminary results of the investigation. According to them, X violated rules regarding disinformation practices, transparency of advertising materials and providing access to data for researchers. Disinformation practices are deceptive methods aimed at inducing users to purchase certain goods or services.
The "blue check" problem
The commission believes that the X verification system using the "blue check" does not meet industry standards. This is due to the fact that any user can get the status of a verified account by subscribing. In addition, there is evidence of misuse of the verification status by attackers to mislead other users of the platform.
Other allegations
X is also accused of implementing design elements and barriers that prevent transparency of advertising. Additionally, the company does not provide researchers with access to public data as required by the DSA.
Possible Consequences
If the commission's findings are upheld, X could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover income It is worth noting that similar investigations are also being conducted against other large technology companies, including TikTok, AliExpress (Alibaba) and Meta.
Glossary
- X is a social network formerly known as Twitter, acquired by Elon Musk
- DSA (Digital Services Act) - the law on digital services in the EU
- European Commission - the executive body of the European Union
- Elon Musk - entrepreneur, founder of SpaceX and Tesla, owner of X
- Meta - technology company, owner of Facebook and Instagram
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Answers to questions
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What's wrong with X's blue check verification system?
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What other problems did the European Commission find in the activities of X?
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Discussion of the topic – X under the crosshairs of the EU: Musk's social network is accused of cheating because of the blue tick
The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) social network on suspicion of defrauding users and violating EU digital content rules. The main focus is on the use of the blue 'tick' verification, which can lead to a significant fine for the company.
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Oleksandr
Oho! This is serious. The EU is not kidding with these rules. I wonder how X will get out of this situation? 🤔
Sophie
Yes, Oleksandr, it looks like Musk will have to work hard on improving the verification policy. But isn't the EU approaching this issue too harshly? 🧐
Hans
Sophie, I think the EU is right. The blue tick lost its value when it could simply be bought. It really confuses the users. 👍
Isabella
I agree with Hans! But I wonder how it will affect other social networks? Meta and TikTok are also in the crosshairs. Could this be the start of a new era of social media regulation? 🌐
Jerzy
You know what? It's all nonsense. Previously, we lived normally without all these ticks and verifications. And now there is so much noise because of some badges. Nothing good will come of this, only more problems.
Oleksandr
Jerzy, I understand your skepticism, but in today's world, verification is important to fight fakes. Isabella is right - this could change the approach to social media in general. 🌍
Sophie
I wonder how Musk will react to this? He is famous for his unpredictable decisions. Maybe it will cancel the ticks altogether? 😅
Hans
Sophie haha that would be Musk style! 😂 But seriously, I think X will have to find a compromise between monetization and transparency. This could become a precedent for the entire industry.