Elon Musk’s X Violates US Sanctions by Selling Premium Accounts to Iranian Leaders
X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, is accused of selling premium services to Iranian government officials, potentially violating US sanctions and amplifying state propaganda during protests.
San Francisco: Elon Musk has publicly criticized Iranian officials while his X platform may profit from them.
A research group found over 24 Iranian government accounts paid for X’s premium service. This let these accounts share propaganda widely when many Iranians lacked internet access.
Premium subscriptions cost $8 monthly and include special features like a blue check mark. These features help messages reach more people.
The basic idea behind premium accounts is simple: users pay money for benefits that boost their presence on X. For normal users, this might just mean getting more followers or likes. But for government officials, it means their messages can spread faster to larger audiences.
Iran faced major protests in December when its currency lost value quickly. Many Iranians wanted changes to their government. Iranian leaders used X’s paid features to counter these protests while keeping ordinary citizens offline.
The United States government sends clear messages through rules called sanctions. These rules say American companies cannot help certain countries in specific ways. Selling premium services appears to break these rules.
When government officials asked X about these accounts, the platform removed blue check marks from some accounts. The platform did not explain why it was selling these services or whether it plans to continue operating in this way in similar situations.