According to a recent report, researchers initially warned X over a year ago. Elon Musk’s social media platform has been cautioned that accepting subscription payments from terrorist organizations and other groups may violate U.S. sanctions, yet it continues to facilitate such payments.
The report from Technology Transparency Project, a nonprofit advocating for tech company accountability, revealed that X is still receiving payments from accounts linked to Hezbollah leaders in Syria and Iraq, as well as Houthi officials and militia leaders. An $8/month subscription grants users a blue checkmark, enhances their visibility in the algorithm, enables post-editing, and allows for longer video sharing.
Last year, the Tech Transparency Project indicated that X had issued paid blue checkmarks to 28 accounts tied to entities under U.S. sanctions. Following this, several social media companies revoked the badges from multiple accounts and suspended others. However, within a month, some of these accounts managed to purchase badges again and have been displaying them ever since.
The Tech Transparency Project estimates that over 200 accounts related to terrorist and other unauthorized groups have acquired a blue checkmark.
Katy Paul, the director of the organization, stated, “These accounts depend on premium services for extensive propaganda posts and to amplify their longer videos. They not only subscribe to the notorious Blue Check but also to premium services.”
Recently, Musk, who served as a special advisor during the Trump administration, criticized the Treasury Department, alleging a lack of “basic control” preventing government entities from tracking payments directed to terrorist organizations. In February, during a White House event with President Trump in the Oval Office, Musk commented that safeguards are in place against payments to terrorist groups and fraudsters “at any company.”
Neither X nor the Treasury Department provided comments upon request.
Since Musk acquired X in 2022, he has made substantial changes, including reinstating hundreds of banned accounts and reducing the workforce by about 80%. He replaced the previous verification system, which required employee validation of prominent user identities, with a subscription model.
X’s policy forbids terrorist groups from purchasing blue checkmarks, yet it remains unclear how the organizations and individuals identified in the report circumvented these regulations to obtain premium status. X no longer verifies user identities before granting checkmarks, which raises the possibility that some accounts flagged by the Tech Transparency Project may belong to impersonators.
Interestingly, some of these accounts do have “ID verification” labels and require users to submit selfies along with their identification.
Subhi Tufayli, the founder of Hezbollah and the group’s first executive director, appears to maintain an “ID verification” account with over 40,700 followers. Tufayli has been on the Ministry of Finance’s sanctions list since 1995. The account, confirmed in October 2023, frequently shares 30-minute videos of his sermons.
credit…Through the Technology Transparency Project
Previously, there were many accounts linked to Yemen’s Houthi Rebel Group holding blue checkmarks on X, but the company revoked these badges following an initial report from the Tech Transparency Project last year.
Hussain Al-Ezzi’s account, identified by the Tech Transparency Project as the Deputy Minister of Houthis, requested Musk to allow for another verification of their group.
In a post from March 2024, the account stated, “We are in solidarity with our Yemeni brothers, who had the Blue Mark removed from their account. We are appealing to Elon Musk to restore it or at least to reinstate the subscription.”
The latest report from the Tech Transparency Project indicated that at least five senior Houthi staff members have been paying for the blue checkmark on X. One of the accounts has attracted over 820,000 followers.
Some flagged accounts have been raising funds through X’s tipping and subscription features or have directed users to send donations to cryptocurrency wallets.
Katy Paul commented, “There is clear evidence that these groups are profiting and financing their operations through X. It is astonishing that those wielding such influence in the federal government can simultaneously profit from designated terrorist groups and individuals.”
Source: www.nytimes.com
