Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah leaders among terrorists who pay Elon Musk for X subscriptions, study finds
Source: The Independent
Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah leaders among terrorists who pay Elon Musk for X subscriptions, study finds
Tech Transparency Project finds several terrorists and others under sanctions have premium blue checkmark accounts on X
Gustaf Kilander
in Washington D.C.
Sunday 18 May 2025 21:04 BST
High-ranking members of designated terrorist groups in the U.S. are among those who pay Elon Musk for X subscriptions, a study has found.
Included in the group are an Al-Qaeda advisor, one of the founders of Hezbollah, the leader of a militia group in Iraq known to attack American troops, and a top official with the Houthi rebels, according to the investigation by the Tech Transparency Project.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) enforces regulations that forbid American companies from taking part in transactions with people or entities the U.S. government has sanctioned unless licensed or authorized by the government. X’s policies say that its premium benefits cannot be used by users who are under OFAC sanctions.
However, the Tech Transparency Project found several terrorists and others under sanctions who have premium blue checkmark accounts on X. A number of these accounts also had a badge stating that they had been “ID verified,” which means that X has confirmed their identity after they sent in a government-issued ID and a selfie to the social media platform. Multiple users used money-generating features put forward by X, such as a button to receive tips.
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Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alqaeda-hezbollah-x-elon-musk-b2753354.html
Alternate link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/al-qaeda-hezbollah-leaders-among-200419349.html