European Union says X’s blue checks are deceptive ‘dark patterns’ that breach its social media laws

AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — The European Union says blue checkmarks from Elon Musk’s X are deceptive and that the online platform falls short on transparency and accountability requirements. They’re the first charges against a tech company since the bloc’s new social media regulations took effect. The European Commission outlined on Friday the preliminary findings from its investigation into X, formerly known as Twitter, under the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Services Act. The rulebook, also known as the DSA, is a sweeping set of regulations that requires platforms to take more responsibility for protecting users and cleaning up their sites. Regulators said the blue checks constitute “dark patterns” that are not in line with industry best practice.