Elon Musk’s X offers premium paid services to terrorist groups: report

According to a new report from the Technology Transparency Project (TTP), the Elon Musk-run The organization’s account provides premium paid services.

The report found more than a dozen U.S.-sanctioned entities with X accounts bearing a blue checkmark that required the purchase of a premium subscription. X offers premium accounts with various perks and checkmarks, including the ability to post longer texts and videos and increased visibility.

The report said 28 verified accounts belonged to individuals and groups deemed by the U.S. government to pose a threat to national security. The group includes two leaders of Hezbollah, accounts linked to Yemen’s Houthi rebels and state-run media accounts from Iran and Russia.

Of those accounts, 18 were verified after X started charging verification fees last April.

“X requires users to pay monthly or annual fees for premium services, suggesting that X is using these accounts to conduct financial transactions, which may violate U.S. sanctions,” the report said.

As the report points out, X’s own policies prohibit sanctioned users from paying for premium services. Some of the identified accounts included ads in their responses. “Some checkmark accounts associated with U.S. sanctioned entities run ads in replies to their posts, increasing the likelihood that they will receive a share of ad revenue,” the report states.

When asked by TTP researchers about the accounts, Representative X said he would look into the matter but had no comment. “Hours after the report was published, X removed all check marks mentioned in the report and suspended an account belonging to the Iran-backed militia group Harakat al-Nujaba,” the report said.

Accounts belonging to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels were among those losing their blue check marks.

However, X shared a statement via the company’s @Safety account saying the team had reviewed the TTP report and “will take action as necessary.”

“Several accounts listed in the Technical Transparency Report are not directly listed on the sanctions list, while others may have visible account checkmarks but are not receiving any services that may be subject to sanctions. We remain committed to ensuring that a secure , reliable and compliant platform,” the company wrote.

On the X, a blue check mark indicates that the account has paid for the Premium or Premium+ service level. The Premium tier costs $8 per month or $84 per year, while Premium+ costs $16 per month or $168 per year. A gold check mark indicates that the account has paid X fee to become a “verified organization.”

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published by IANS, the associated news agency)