Musk’s platform under fire for inadequate fact-checking

Scrutiny intensifies over X’s handling of misinformation.
X’s AI training practices spark regulatory scrutiny in the EU, as questions emerge about using publicly available user data without clear consent.

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, is facing criticism from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which claims its crowd-sourced fact-checking feature, Community Notes, is struggling to curb misinformation on the upcoming US election. According to a CCDH report, out of 283 analysed posts containing misleading information, only 26% showed corrected notes visible to all users, allowing false narratives to reach massive audiences. The 209 uncorrected posts gained over 2.2 billion views, raising concerns over the platform’s commitment to truth and transparency.

Community Notes was launched to empower users to flag inaccurate content. However, critics argue this system alone may be insufficient to handle misinformation during critical events like elections. Calls for X to strengthen its safety measures follow a recent legal loss to CCDH, which faulted the platform for an increase in hate speech. The report also highlights Musk’s endorsement of Republican candidate Donald Trump as a potential complicating factor, since Musk has also been accused of spreading misinformation himself.

In response to the ongoing scrutiny, five US state officials urged Musk in August to address misinformation on X’s AI chatbot, which has reportedly circulated false claims related to the November election. X has yet to respond to these calls for stricter safeguards, and its ability to manage misinformation effectively remains under close watch as the election approaches.