Did Elon Musk-owned 'X' allow premium services to terrorist group? Here's what company said
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Feb 16, 2024, 10:53 AM ISTElon Musk-owned social media platform 'X' is facing scrutiny over allegations of providing subscriptions and verifications (Blue tick mark) to designated terrorist groups prohibited from operating in the United States. Here's what the firm said.
Elon Musk-run X (formerly Twitter) is providing premium, paid services to accounts for two leaders of a US-designated terrorist group and several other organisations sanctioned by the government, according to a new report from the Tech Transparency Project (TTP).
The report identified over a dozen X accounts for US-sanctioned entities that had a blue checkmark, which requires the purchase of a premium subscription. In addition to the checkmarks, X provides premium customers with additional benefits including increased exposure and the capacity to upload lengthier texts and videos.
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
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The report claims that 28 confirmed accounts are associated with people and organizations that the US government has designated as posing a danger to national security. Two Hezbollah leaders, accounts connected to the Houthis in Yemen, and official media accounts from Iran and Russia are all included in this group.
Out of these accounts, 18 were verified after X started charging for verification in April last year. According to the report, "X may be violating US sanctions if it is using these accounts for financial transactions, as evidenced by the fact that X charges a monthly or annual fee for premium service."
However, X shared a statement by the company’s @Safety account, saying that the teams have reviewed the TTP report and “will take action if necessary”.
The firm said, "While some of the accounts featured in the Tech Transparency Report may have visible account check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to penalties, others of the accounts listed in the report are not explicitly referenced on sanction lists."
X has a robust and secure approach in place for our monetization features, adhering to legal obligations, along with independent screening by our payments providers. Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while… https://t.co/jgEzkNcFqj
— Safety (@Safety)The business stated, "We're always committed to making sure we maintain a safe, secure, and compliant platform."
Accounts that have paid for the Premium or Premium+ service tier on X are indicated with blue checkmarks. The monthly fee for the Premium tier is $8, or $84 annually, and the monthly fee for Premium+ is $16, or $168 annually. An account that has paid X to be a "Verified Organization" is indicated with a gold checkmark.
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