The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, accused X of deceiving users with its blue checkmark system and failing to create a transparent advertising repository and provide researchers with access to public data.
The commission said the platform's verification system, in which anyone can pay for a checkmark, makes it difficult for users to judge the authenticity of accounts and violates the DSA's prohibition on deceptive design.
It also found that X's ad repository had design features that undermined its effectiveness, in addition to lacking key information about advertisements on the site. The platform also blocks researchers from independently accessing data in violation of the DSA, the commission noted.
"Deceiving users with blue checkmarks, obscuring information on ads and shutting out researchers have no place online in the EU," Henna Virkkunen, the bloc's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement.
"The DSA protects users," she continued. "The DSA gives researchers the way to uncover potential threats. The DSA restores trust in the online environment. With the DSA's first non-compliance decision, we are holding X responsible for undermining users' rights and evading accountability."
The EU began investigating X in December 2023, examining the platform's design and advertising practices, as well as its handling of illegal content and information manipulation. The commission noted Friday that its probe into the latter issues is ongoing.
In a series of posts on X, Musk dismissed the decision as "bulls---" and argued the goal of shifting the checkmarks to a paid subscription was to "democratize verification, rather than have it be controlled by a group of biased elites."
The move appears poised to provoke the Trump administration, which has previously voiced opposition to the EU's efforts to regulate U.S. tech companies. Vice President Vance preemptively slammed the bloc Thursday as it prepared to hand down the fine.
"Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship," Vance wrote in a post on the platform. "The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage."
No comments:
Post a Comment