EU Charges Elon Musk's X for Breaching Online Content Rules

Elon Musk's social media company X has been found to have violated EU online content rules, resulting in potential fines and operational changes. The European Commission's charges follow a lengthy investigation and center on dark patterns, misleading verified accounts, and restricted researcher access. X faces significant penalties if found guilty.

Elon Musk's social media company X has breached EU online content rules, prompting potential fines and major operational changes, EU tech regulators ruled on Friday. This marks the first charges issued under the Digital Services Act (DSA) after a seven-month investigation by the European Commission.

Key issues include the company's dark patterns shaping user behavior, advertising transparency, and restricting data access to researchers. X's blue checkmarks, previously a verification tool for public figures, now indicate paid subscriptions, misleading users.

X, which Musk acquired in 2022, has also failed to meet DSA requirements for accessible ad information and blocked researchers from public data. If found guilty, X could face fines up to 6% of its global turnover. Musk denied the charges, accusing the EU of offering an illegal deal.

(With inputs from agencies.)