Musk's X in the spotlight for accepting payment from sanctioned terrorist-linked accounts

Musk's X in the spotlight for accepting payment from sanctioned terrorist-linked accounts

Elon Musk's X social media network is again under fire for letting sanctioned people and terrorist-affiliated organizations pay for paid accounts, over a year since monitors first sounded the alarm. In a new report, the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) says that X continues to accept payments from users associated with Hezbollah, the Houthi movement, and Iraq and Syria militia bosses—despite US sanctions against such transactions, the New York Times reported.

The results show that more than 200 accounts associated with sanctioned entities have subscribed to X's paid subscription service, which gives people a blue check mark and advanced features such as longer videos, post-editing, and algorithmic boosting.

"They're not just subscribing for the blue check fame," said Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project. "They're subscribing for the premium services" to deliver propaganda and raise funds.

Sanctioned accounts continuing to profit from X

The scandal surrounds the changeover to a paid-for verification system, implemented following Musk taking over the company in 2022. The old system based on identity was torn down, and Musk established a pay-for-benefits model costing $8 per month. X's current policy formally prohibits sanctioned and terrorist groups from subscribing—but since no checks are being made on identity, enforcement seems to be lax.

Even "ID verified" accounts, which denote a government ID and selfie—have been shown to be tied to sanctioned individuals. One of them is Subhi Tufayli, the former secretary general of Hezbollah, who has been on the US sanctions list since 1995. The October 2023-verified account frequently posts lengthy sermons and has over 40,000 followers.

The TTP report further discovered that at least five of the Houthi top officials in Yemen re-subscribed to X premium over recent months after their blue check marks were taken away in 2023. Together, their accounts now span more than 820,000 users. Others even employed X's tipping and subscription features to fundraise, sending users to cryptocurrency wallets to donate.

Dissonant messages and federal worries

Musk, who is now a special adviser to President Trump, has recently condemned the US Treasury Department for failing to implement tougher payment controls on terrorist groups. But Musk's own company is accused by critics of making money from the violations.

"There is convincing evidence that these groups were profiting and fund-raising via X," Paul noted. "And that someone who exerts such influence and control in the federal government at the same time is profiting from these listed terrorist individuals and groups is deeply troubling."

X and the Treasury Department refused to comment on the report. Although X suspended some flagged accounts following TTP's initial investigation, some re-subscribed within weeks and maintained their verification. The case raises important questions about the platform's enforcement practices and the implications of its business model for US sanctions law.

Whether additional action will be taken is unknown. But with sanctioned organizations using X to disseminate propaganda and raise money, critics say that the platform's policies are weakening both national security and international law.