Cyber Crime
Blue Ticks for Terror: X Under Fire for Selling Verification to Extremists
Insight into X’s controversy for selling premium services to terrorist-linked accounts, sparking debates on social media’s role in global security.
An investigation conducted by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) has uncovered alarming practices by the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. According to the TTP’s findings, X has been granting premium subscription services, including the sought-after blue tick verification, to accounts linked with notorious terrorist organizations and state-run media from nations such as Iran and Russia, including Hezbollah and Houthi factions.
Premium Perks for Controversial Accounts
These premium subscriptions not only offer the blue checkmark, symbolizing verified status, but also provide users with additional benefits like reduced advertisements and the ability to post longer messages. What’s more concerning is the discovery that certain verified accounts, despite being associated with entities under U.S. sanctions, were found to be monetizing through advertisements placed in the comments section of their posts.
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The TTP report identifies 28 accounts, 18 of which received their verification status post-April 1, 2023, and highlights that 19 of these accounts had advertisements in their comment sections, indicating a potentially widespread problem.
The Nasrallah account showed it was “ID verified,” which requires users to send in a government-issued ID and selfie to X. The feature, which X promotes as a way to prevent impersonation, is only available to X premium subscribers.
X Responds to Allegations
In response to the report, X defended its verification process and subscription model, asserting that they employ rigorous systems to ensure compliance with legal standards. The platform also mentioned that independent audits by payment providers are conducted to uphold integrity. X clarified that not all accounts mentioned in the TTP report are on sanction lists and that some verified accounts might not receive sanctionable services.
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X’s official statement emphasized their commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and legally compliant environment for users: “X has a robust and secure approach in place for our monetization features, adhering to legal obligations, along with independent screening by our payments providers. Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while some others may have visible account check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to sanctions. Our teams have reviewed the report and will take action if necessary. We’re always committed to ensuring that we maintain a safe, secure and compliant platform.”
Implications for Social Media Governance
The revelations from the TTP investigation cast a shadow on X’s practices, raising significant concerns about how social media platforms manage extremist content and adhere to international regulations. As awareness of these issues grows, the public and regulatory bodies will be keenly observing how X addresses these challenges and implements measures to safeguard its platform against misuse by extremist entities.