New problems for Elon Musk: the European Commission informed X, formerly Twitter, to have taken over violazioni of the Digital Services Act (DSA). The accusations concern the use of deceptive interfaces, a lack of transparency in advertising and insufficient access to data for researchers. The results of the investigation were sent to X, who now has the opportunity to defend himself. If the violations were confirmed, the company could face fines and a requirement to make changes to its services.
The violations found
The European Commission accuses deceptively manage “verified” accounts with the blue check, since “anyone can sign up” to obtain it. This situation compromises users' ability to make informed choices about the authenticity of accounts, encouraging abuse by ill-intentioned people.
Investigations later revealed the use of “dark patterns”, i.e. interfaces designed to push users to perform unwanted actions. This approach has raised significant concerns regarding the transparency and integrity of the platform.
Another area of concern concerns the management of advertising on X. According to the Commission, the platform does not offer a "consultable and reliable" advertising archive, making it difficult for users to access the information they need. The lack of a transparent system prevents adequate oversight and research into emerging risks associated with online advertising.
The Commission also criticized X for do not provide adequate access to public data for researchers. Currently, Musk's social network would hinder scholars by making independent access to data difficult, and imposing "disproportionately high" costs to access its programming interface.
What does X risk?
He charges against X were confirmed, the European Commission could inflict fines of up to 6% of global turnover company annual. The company has the possibility of defending themselves reviewing investigation documents and responding in writing. If the preliminary evidence is confirmed, a non-compliance decision will be made.
According to current estimates, the fine could theoretically reach about 150 millions of dollars, given that advertising revenues in 2023 will be around 2,5 billion. If the evidence is confirmed, the Commission will adopt a non-compliance decision, establishing the violation of the DSA rules.
