Elon Musk‘s social media platform X has come under scrutiny for allegedly offering subscriptions and verifications to designated terrorist groups barred from operating in the US. As per BBC, The Tech Transparency Project (TTP), a nonprofit organization, found X had granted blue check marks to two leaders of a US-designated terrorist group and several other organizations sanctioned by the US. government.
The report claims that over a dozen X accounts for US-sanctioned entities had a blue checkmark, which requires the purchase of a premium subscription. Notably, X offers premium accounts a variety of perks, including the ability to post longer text and videos as well as greater visibility. The watchdog identified 28 accounts, 18 of which received their verification status post-April 1, 2023.
NEW: X is providing premium services to the leaders of a U.S.-designated terrorist group and other sanctioned entities, according to new research from TTP.
The arrangement may be a violation of sanctions law. https://t.co/yt1OI6t70N pic.twitter.com/77gmaAPCgu
— Tech Transparency Project (@TTP_updates) February 14, 2024
”The accounts identified by TTP include two that apparently belong to the top leaders of Lebanon-based Hezbollah and others belonging to Iranian and Russian state-run media. The fact that X requires users to pay a monthly or annual fee for premium service suggests that X is engaging in financial transactions with these accounts, a potential violation of U.S. sanctions,” the TTP said in the report.
”A blue checkmark account that bears the name and profile image of Hassan Nasrallah, the secretary-general of Hezbollah, also indicates it is ”ID verified,” a service that X offers to premium subscribers as a way to prevent impersonation,” the report further said.
”Two other accounts for U.S.-sanctioned entities, Iran’s Press TV and Russia’s Tinkoff Bank, had gold checkmarks. A gold checkmark indicates the account is a ”Verified Organization,” and at the time of TTP’s research, cost $1,000 per month,” the report added.
The TTP claimed that an account run by Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, had also seemingly paid for its blue check mark.
X’s safety team refuted the allegations, citing their “robust and secure approach” to monetization features. ”Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while some others may have visible account check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to sanctions,” the tweet stated. After reading the report, our teams will take appropriate action.
X has since eliminated the blue checkmarks from the organizations listed in the report, including those supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.
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