Elon Musk claims X rejected ‘secret deal’ with EU Commission

In a bold statement, Elon Musk accused the European Commission on Friday of offering a “secret” deal to social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), to quietly censor speech without public knowledge in exchange for avoiding fines. Musk claimed that while other platforms accepted this offer, X did not comply. He further labeled the Digital Services Act (DSA) as “misinformation.”

The European Commission offered 𝕏 an illegal secret deal: if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone, they would not fine us.

The other platforms accepted that deal.

𝕏 did not. https://t.co/4lKsaRsYoA

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2024

Musk’s comments were a direct response to Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition. Vestager had stated that X fails to meet key transparency standards outlined in the DSA. “In our view, X doesn’t comply with the DSA in key transparency areas. It misleads users, fails to provide an adequate ad repository, and blocks access to data for researchers,” Vestager said.

The European Commission’s preliminary findings highlight three main areas of non-compliance by X:

1. Dark Patterns in Verified Accounts: The platform’s “Blue checkmark” for verified accounts misleads users by allowing anyone to obtain the status, which malicious actors exploit to deceive users.
2. Advertising Transparency: X lacks a reliable ad repository and has implemented barriers that hinder transparency and research into online advertising risks.
3. Data Access for Researchers: X restricts eligible researchers from accessing public data and imposes high fees for API access, deterring research projects.

The Commission’s investigation, which included analysis of internal documents, expert interviews, and cooperation with national Digital Services Coordinators, has led to these preliminary findings. If these views are confirmed, the Commission may impose fines up to 6% of X’s global annual turnover and enforce measures to address the breaches.

Vestager emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the DSA, stating, “Transparency and accountability in relation to content moderation and advertising are at the heart of the DSA.” She reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring compliance by all platforms.

Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, echoed these sentiments. “Back in the day, BlueChecks used to mean trustworthy sources of information. Now with X, our preliminary view is that they deceive users and infringe the DSA,” Breton remarked.

The Commission has initiated similar proceedings against other major platforms, including TikTok, AliExpress, and Meta, as part of its efforts to enforce the DSA and maintain digital transparency and integrity across the EU.

X, designated as a Very Large Online Platform under the DSA in April 2023, now has the opportunity to respond to the Commission’s findings and defend its practices before any final decision is made.