Trouble in the EU For Elon Musk’s X

Elon Musk’s X came under scrutiny by European Union (EU) officials after preliminary investigation findings accused the social media platform of deception through its “blue check” system, restricting data access to researchers, and lacking advertising transparency.

The Details: The European Commission on Friday said it believes Musk’s X has violated the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law focused on regulating online content and algorithms. Officials alleged that X utilizes “dark patterns” to “mislead” people, citing issues with the “blue checks”, used to show verified users. Since Musk bought Twitter (now X), in 2022, he altered the blue checks from something that users earned before to something they could purchase, which, according to the Commission, “negatively affects user’s ability to make free and informed decisions,” and has allowed disinformation to spread.

Key Quotes: European Commissioner for Internal Markets, Thierry Breton, said on X, “Back in the day, #BlueChecks used to mean trustworthy sources of information.” Musk reposted, saying, “We look forward to a very public battle in court, so that the people of Europe can know the truth.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the political spectrum covered the details of the allegations. Many on the right focused on the implications this law may have for freedom of speech, highlighting the potential for governments to control speech across an entire region. Outlets on the left, like Politico (Lean Left bias), tended to slant in favor of the EU, saying Musk turned “X into a haven for disinformation and illegal content.”