Strife about blue fork - Elon Musk's Platform X violates EU law
The design of platform X may lead users astray, according to the EU Commission. This means that US entrepreneur Elon Musk is in violation of European law. Consequently, his company faces a significant fine, as the Brussels authority has announced. Specifically, the Commission accuses X (formerly Twitter) of allowing the way user accounts are verified to potentially mislead other platform users, as anyone could obtain a "verified" account.
For the first time, the EU Commission has made preliminary investigation results public under the new EU Digital Services Act (DSA). X can now respond to the allegations. The company was initially unreachable for a statement. The Commission emphasizes that these presented results are not final.
X violates provisions of the Digital Services Act
White-blue checkmarks used for verification on Twitter were previously granted after verification by the company to prominent figures, politicians, and public figures. This is also common practice among other online services. Musk introduced a change, allowing all subscribers to receive checkmarks that looked like the old ones. There were numerous complaints immediately after the switch, as false accounts of companies and prominent figures suddenly appeared authentic.
The Commission now reports that malicious actors have been using these supposedly verified accounts to deceive other users.
Online platforms must comply with stricter rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA) since some time. This includes increased transparency in advertising and granting researchers access to certain data. In both areas, X, according to the EU Commission's preliminary assessment, violates the DSA. Investigations against other major online platforms based on the DSA are also ongoing.
Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022
If the Commission's preliminary opinion is confirmed, the EU Commission could impose a fine of up to six percent of the company's worldwide annual revenue. Against this decision, legal action could be taken. The current revenue of X is known only in estimates.
Since Musk bought the predecessor service Twitter in October 2022 and was taken over by the stock exchange, no figures have had to be disclosed. Details about the deal have only emerged in pieces. Bloomberg recently reported that the earnings in the first half of 2023 had fallen by 40% compared to the previous year to 1.48 billion dollars.
Proceedings against Twitter for illegal donations
X has been under criticism for a longer time for not taking decisive action against false information and hate speech on the platform. The DSA obliges companies to strictly enforce illegal content such as hate speech and incitement to hatred on the internet. Elon Musk had repeatedly emphasized his intention to remove what he considered excessive restrictions on freedom of speech on the platform.
X received a questionnaire from the EU Commission after it received numerous indications of illegal and misleading donations to the attack of the Islamist Hamas on Israel on the platform. Since the answers apparently did not satisfy the EU Commission, a proceeding against X was opened. This proceeding runs independently of the currently presented preliminary results.
- The European Commission has expressed concern over Elon Musk's company, as they believe its platform, which was formerly Twitter, may be misleading users with its verification process.
- The EU Commission is investigating X for potential violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA), specifically in the areas of transparency in advertising and data access for researchers.
- Elon Musk, as the owner of Twitter, introduced a change that allowed all subscribers to obtain 'white-blue checkmarks,' leading to numerous complaints and the potential for malicious actors to deceive other users.
