Elon Musk Is Doing Business With Actual Terrorists, Nonprofit Finds
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."
More on X dot com: Elon Musk's Unhinged Grok AI Is Rambling About 'White Genocide' in Completely Unrelated Tweets
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When Trump won the election, though, they had a sense that change was in the air. White House officials say that Trump always wanted a grand celebration for the country's 250th anniversary, and the parade is something of a kickoff to the wider series of events next year. The week after he was inaugurated, he signed an executive order creating Task Force 250 to begin the planning. By mid-February, George, the Army chief of staff, and his team went to the White House and made a bigger pitch to Trump administration officials: It was time, Army officials suggested, to hold a 'national-level' event of some kind to mark the birthday. Army officials were not initially sure whether Trump and senior White House advisers would be receptive to the idea. When the pitch was greeted with enthusiasm, brainstorming began in earnest, with suggestions for a parade, fireworks, a performance by the Army's Golden Knights parachute team and other demonstrations. The White House green-lit nearly all of the ideas, and Trump added some of his own. 'The president has requested aircraft and other military equipment to fully capture the might of our American military,' said a White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to provide detail on the planning. The official said that ever since Trump won in November, the plan was for a military parade to mark the Army's anniversary. George, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, has undertaken the project enthusiastically, Butler said. 'We're treating it like any other operation, combat or otherwise,' Butler said, indicating that considerations must be paid to make sure the event has appropriate safety precautions and logistical support. 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Butler, George's spokesman, rejected any suggestion that the Army's embrace of a military parade had anything to do with that. 'We're on the record: No one was pitching a national event to save their job,' Butler said. The celebration has continued to grow over recent months. It now is expected to include 28 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker combat vehicles, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, an array of other vehicles and 6,700 soldiers from across the country. The estimated cost is about $45 million, Army officials have said — a flash point as the service cuts programs to fund new Trump priorities. The Army has vowed to foot the bill for any damage to city streets, with local officials particularly worried they'll be chewed up by tanks. Reagan National Airport will halt takeoffs and landings for up to several hours, and waterways on the Potomac will be closed. The parade will take place along Constitution Avenue between 15th and 23rd streets. On Friday, preparations were underway for the event. Crews along Constitution Avenue NW worked on what looked like a platform just south of the White House. A stage was under construction just off the Ellipse, the federally controlled park south of the White House. It remains unclear how organizers are planning to build a crowd for the event. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith said they were using their website, social media, media coverage and partnerships with sports teams to drum up awareness. 'We've focused on the four-hour radius around D.C. That is really where we are marketing,' Smith said, adding that participating Army units around the country are spreading the word in their own communities. She said the Army is also 'partnering with third-party influencers,' but she was unable to provide a list of names because the computer system was down. Recruitment ads have also popped up on the D.C. Metro saying: 'Explore 250+ Army careers. Meet us June 14th on The National Mall.' Destination DC, the city's main tourism organization, published an online FAQ guide to the 250th celebration. Tucked among guidance on Metro station closures, scheduling logistics and ticket information is the question, 'Is this a political event?' The response: 'No. The celebration is focused on the Army's 250 years of service to the country — not on politics. The day honors Soldiers past and present and highlights the Army's role in American history.' 'President Trump is looking forward to celebrating the U.S. Army's birthday as part of the year-long celebration for America's 250th anniversary,' said Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary. 'This parade will honor all of the military men and women who have bravely served our country, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom.' While officials have downplayed Trump's birthday, the president is expected to be at the center of attention. The Golden Knights are planning to parachute onto the Ellipse and present an American flag to the president. Trump will also enlist and reenlist 250 recruits and soldiers. Federal workers have been told to work remotely so that soldiers can sleep in their offices downtown. Flights will be delayed and streets blocked. There may be frustration in the air in some corners, but the tanks will soon be on their way. Dan Merica contributed to this report.
