EU says X’s blue tick accounts deceive users
Elon Musk's social media site X has been accused by the European Union of breaching its online content rules, with its "verified" blue tick accounts having the potential to "deceive" users.
The bloc's tech regulator said users could be duped into thinking the identity of those with blue tick marks was verified, when in fact anybody can pay for a blue tick. It said it had found evidence of "malicious actors" abusing the system.
It also found a lack of transparency around advertising and said X did not provide data for research use as required under EU rules.
The ruling could lead to X being fined up to 6% of its global annual turnover and being forced to change how it operates in the bloc.
The BBC has contacted X for comment. Elon Musk bought the platform, formerly Twitter, for $44bn in 2022.
The findings follow a seven month investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA) which requires big tech firms, like X, to take action to stop illegal content and safeguard the public.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw0y1ezpv5xo