Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has breached EU online content rules, according to EU tech regulators.
As per multiple outlets, this ruling, issued on Friday, could lead to significant fines and changes in the platform's operations.
The European Commission's charges are the first under the new Digital Services Act (DSA), following a seven-month investigation.
The DSA mandates large online platforms and search engines to combat illegal content and public security risks.
The Commission's preliminary findings criticize X for its "dark patterns" that influence user behaviour, lack of advertising transparency, and restricted data access for researchers.
They also highlighted issues with X's blue checkmark verification system, which misleads users about account authenticity.
After Musk acquired the platform in 2022, the blue checkmark's meaning changed from verifying public figures to indicating paid subscribers.
Moreover, if found guilty, X could face fines up to 6% of its global turnover.
EU industry chief Thierry Breton said in an official statement, noting, "X has now the right of defence, but if our view is confirmed, we will impose fines and require significant changes."
Meanwhile, Musk responded to Breton on X, questioning his authenticity, and claimed the European Commission offered X a secret deal to censor speech in exchange for avoiding fines, which X rejected.
The Commission is also investigating X for illegal content dissemination and its measures against disinformation.
Additionally, other platforms like TikTok, AliExpress, and Meta Platforms are also under investigation under the DSA.
