The lead privacy regulator for the European Union expressed significant concern on Tuesday regarding Twitter’s recent launch of its Twitter Blue subscription service in the region. Helen Dixon, the Data Protection Commissioner of Ireland, highlighted that the Elon Musk-owned company had rolled out the service without prior consultation with her office, despite assurances to the contrary.
In recent days, Twitter has introduced the subscription service in various EU markets. This service allows users to obtain the blue check mark, which was previously available for free to verified accounts of public figures, for a fee. The service was initially launched last year in the United States.
Dixon, whose office oversees Twitter’s compliance in the EU due to the company’s Dublin headquarters, raised concerns about potential privacy issues linked to the verification of accounts. This includes the risk of users impersonating public figures.
“Our level of concern has increased this week with the rollout of the blue tick subscription service in EU countries, especially considering we had received assurances that it wouldn’t be launched here without discussions with our office,” she stated in an interview.
While there has not been a formal investigation initiated, Dixon mentioned that there is a heightened level of communication with Twitter. She emphasized that prior consultation before launching such products is considered a “best practice.”
Back in November, Dixon voiced worries about the implications of significant job cuts at Twitter for the company’s ability to fulfill its privacy obligations following Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
She noted that Twitter currently has a “very strong” data protection officer. However, Dixon remarked that there are other influencing factors beyond the data protection office that need to be understood more thoroughly.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
