"Allegations of Terrorists Buying Verification Checks Spark Sanctions Concerns for X"

The Tech Transparency Project alleges that social media platform X has been selling premium subscriptions to individuals and organizations subject to US sanctions, including leaders of the US-designated terrorist organization Hezbollah. The report identifies 28 accounts that were granted checkmarks under owner Elon Musk’s paid verification plan, raising questions about the platform's vetting process. X has removed most of the verifications but still displays two gold checks on specific accounts. The platform claims to have a secure approach for its monetization features and states it will take action if necessary. However, the report argues that X's own policies prohibit transactions with sanctioned entities, and questions remain about how these accounts obtained verification.