The body’s initial opinion, released on Friday, was that X broke rules on dark forms, ad transparency and data access for researchers. are called dark forms There are Deceptive tactics designed to push people towards certain products and services.
The commission said the use of a blue verification mark X for verified accounts is not consistent with industry practices, as anyone can subscribe and obtain verified status. It also said there was evidence of “motivated malicious actors” abusing verified status to trick users.
The commission accused the design features and obstacles of advertising transparency, and said it did not allow researchers access to public data required by the DSA.
“In our view, X does not comply with the DSA in key transparency areas by using dark formats, misleading users, failing to provide an adequate ad repository and blocking access to data for researchers,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement on Friday.
“DSA has transparency at its core and we are committed to ensuring that all platforms, including X, comply with EU law.”
X did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
If the Commission’s findings are upheld, X will be fined up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
“X now has the right to defend itself – but if our view is confirmed we will impose fines and require significant changes,” EU industry chief Thierry Breton said in a statement. Post on X.
The commission is also investigating TikTok, Alibaba’s AliExpress and Meta over similar concerns.
It comes as the European Union tightens its grip on tech giants like Google and Meta. In 2022, the Commission introduced the Digital Services Act, a major part of which focuses on how digital companies target users through advertisements.
