EU accuses Elon Musk's X of deceptive practices over blue 'checkmark'

The European Union has accused Elon Musk's social media company, X, of deceptive practices related to the issuance of blue checkmarks to users. The EU claims that allowing anyone to pay for a blue checkmark, previously reserved for verified users, could mislead millions of users about the authenticity of accounts and content. If confirmed, X could face fines of up to 6% of its global turnover. The EU's investigation, initiated last year, found X in breach of the Digital Services Act, which aims to regulate online content. X has the opportunity to defend itself against these accusations. The EU also highlighted other non-compliance issues, such as the use of deceptive techniques to manipulate user behavior and lack of transparency in advertising and data access for researchers. The EU Commissioner emphasized the need for significant changes if X's practices are found to violate the DSA. Musk denied allegations of a secret censorship deal with the EU and criticized the Commission's approach. This case marks the first investigation under the EU's digital rules involving a major online platform.