Who’s paying for a blue checkmark on X-formerly-Twitter these days? According to a new report by the big tech accountability nonprofit Tech Transparency Project (TTP), the answer is: a bunch of terrorists.
The TTP investigation found that more than 200 X users including individuals who appear to be affiliated with Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Syrian and Iraqi militia groups — all deemed foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) by the US government — are paying for subscriptions to Elon Musk’s X.
Put simply, Musk is doing business with actual terrorists, highlighting major flaws in his social media company’s content moderation practices.
These paid subscriptions are granting apparent terrorists blue verification badges, which can offer the accounts an added air of legitimacy. Most importantly, though, the subscriptions are granting the users access to premium X features and perks like content monetization tools, the ability to publish longer posts and videos, and greater platform reach — which the TTP says allows for terrorism-linked users to more effectively distribute and monetize propaganda, as well as promote their fundraising efforts.
“They rely on the premium services for the amplification of long propaganda posts and extended videos,” TTP director Katie Paul told The New York Times. “They are not just subscribing for the blue check notoriety, they are subscribing for the premium services.”
As the TTP points out, X’s terms of use forbid users from paying for premium services if they’re affiliated with groups under US economic sanctions, including ones imposed by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Neither X nor the Treasury Department responded to a NYT request for comment.
Though X says it reviews subscribed accounts to ensure they “meet all eligibility criteria” for verification, the feature has been pretty broken since Musk took over the platform and made the feature pay-to-play.
What’s more, last year, a similar TTP report found that over two dozen users with apparent terror links were paying X subscribers with blue badges. Several of those accounts were banned or stripped of their verification status following the release of the report, but as the NYT points out, several have since been able to regain access to premium features.
The TTP investigation raises serious questions about X’s due diligence around content moderation and platform safety. After all, if X can suppress users that Musk doesn’t like, and speech that authoritarian governments don’t like, can’t it keep US-designated terrorists — whether they’re the real deal or impersonators — from nabbing blue checks and using X perks to spread and cash in on propaganda?
“There is clear evidence of these groups profiting and fundraising through X,” Paul told the NYT. “They are sanctioned for a reason, and the fact that somebody who has such influence and power in the federal government is at the same time profiting from these designated terrorist groups and individuals is extremely concerning.”
News
“Triple the joy”: Alan Jackson’s Three Daughters Are All Pregnant and He’s Getting Ready for Three New Grandbabies
The Jackson family Christmas just turned into a full-blown baby boom. Country music legend Alan Jackson and his wife Denise…
Riley Green gave her parents a huge and unexpected Christmas gift.
“Definitely One Way To Get Us Off Of Your Bus” — Riley Green Gifted His Parents A New Camper For…
John Daly Shares Harsh Reality of His Health as He Admits His ‘Career Is Declining’
John Daly used to be the horse. Now, by his own very real admission, he’s the saddle, and his son, John…
John Daly Delivers Honest Verdict on Scottie Scheffler–Tiger Woods Debate
Is Scottie Scheffler the next Tiger Woods? Scheffler, taking 1197 days, the same as Woods, to go from 1 to…
Erika Kirk faced a backlash on social media after promoting her late husband’s new book while urging fans to spend time with loved ones in a holiday greeting message.
Charlie Kirk’s Widow Erika Slammed for Promoting Late Husband’s New Book While Urging Fans to Spend Time with Loved Ones…
Elon Musk’s 13 largest DOGE ‘chainsaw’ cuts were bunk, blockbuster report uncovers
Elon Musk’s much heralded chainsaw couldn’t make the cut. Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to slash government spending through the…
End of content
No more pages to load






