X, formerly Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), has been accused of granting subscriptions to accounts associated with terrorist organisations.
According to a report by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP), the Musk-owned platform provided blue check marks to members of groups such as Hezbollah, allowing the accounts longer posts and better promotion in return for a US$8 monthly fee.
The monetisation of the blue check mark, a shift from its original purpose of verifying well-known accounts, has led to widespread criticism.
Following the report, X removed some of these marks, asserting that its security measures were robust.
TTP said X “may be raising new legal issues” by facilitating services to sanctioned individuals and groups.
X is accused of providing a blue tick to an account run by Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, which garnered over 20,000 followers before it was deleted.
Both the UK and the US have sanctioned the Houthis, with the UK’s government imposing the measures "to disrupt their ability to attack international shipping in the Red Sea, and to promote Yemen's peace, stability and security".
X responded by saying its processes were all legal and were independently verified by external payment providers.
"Several of the accounts listed in the Tech Transparency Report are not directly named on sanction lists, while some others may have visible account check marks without receiving any services that would be subject to sanctions," X said.
TTP director Katie Paul believes this a sign X has “lost control of its platform”.