The European Union has taken a significant step by charging Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, with deceptive practices under the bloc's new Digital Services Act (DSA). This marks the first instance of charges against a tech company since the regulations came into effect.
The European Commission's investigation into X revealed preliminary findings that raised concerns about the platform's lack of transparency and accountability. The DSA, a comprehensive set of rules, mandates that online platforms like X take greater responsibility for safeguarding users and maintaining the integrity of their platforms, with the threat of substantial fines for non-compliance.
One of the key issues highlighted by regulators is X's use of blue checkmarks, which they deemed as 'dark patterns' that deviate from industry best practices and could potentially be exploited by malicious actors to deceive users. Following Musk's acquisition of the platform in 2022, X began offering verification marks to users who paid a monthly fee, a departure from the previous practice of granting them to established figures like celebrities and politicians.
The European Commissioner, Thierry Breton, expressed disappointment in X's handling of the verification system, stating that what was once a symbol of trustworthiness now risks misleading users and violating the DSA.
In addition to the issue of blue checks, the commission also accused X of failing to meet requirements related to ad transparency. Platforms under the DSA are obligated to maintain a public database of all digital advertisements, including information on the advertisers and target audiences. However, X's ad database was found to have design flaws and access barriers that undermine its transparency objectives.
Furthermore, X was criticized for not providing adequate access to public data for researchers, as mandated by the DSA. The commission highlighted this as another area where the platform fell short of regulatory expectations.
These charges against X underscore the EU's commitment to enforcing the DSA and holding tech companies accountable for their practices. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for how online platforms operate within the European Union.
