In the wake of the Hamas’ attack on Israel, Elon Musk’s social media platform, X/Twitter, has come under intense scrutiny for its serving false and misleading content. European regulators and global advertisers have raised concerns about the platform’s role in disseminating illegal content and disinformation. This has prompted a clash between Musk’s vision of free speech and the need for moderation to stop spreading misinformation.
Journalists (and X/Twitter users) have been working tirelessly to debunk the flood of false information on X/Twitter. The platform has been inundated with posts containing fake photos, out-of-context imagery, and even videos of violent fighting from video games. European Commissioner Thierry Breton has warned Musk that the platform must have adequate measures in place to tackle disinformation, invoking the EU’s Digital Services Act.
UPDATE: European Commissioner Thierry Breton has alerted Elon Musk regarding potential misinformation and harmful content being propagated on X/Twitter. Addressed on Tuesday, the letter underscores “indications” of the spread of “violent and terrorist” content on the platform, urging Musk for a response within a stringent 24-hour timeframe. This action follows numerous documentation by researchers, news outlets, and various groups about the surge of misleading or false information on X/Twitter, especially concerning ongoing conflicts, such as Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia. Breton’s letter brings to light the necessary compliance with European regulations governing illegal content, stressing that failure to adhere could lead to substantial fines, amounting to 6% of the offending company’s annual revenue.
Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” has made big changes to X/Twitter since acquiring it last year. He has reduced destroyed the platform’s workforce, including the trust and safety team, and loosened ignored its moderation policies. Experts argue that these decisions, coupled with certain product changes, have allowed misinformation to spread on X/Twitter at an alarming scale. The platform’s architecture, including the opening up of blue check marks to paying subscribers and the promotion of paying users’ content, has made it increasingly difficult to assess the credibility of sources.
Musk’s own behavior on the platform, including recommending accounts that spread misinformation, sets a dangerous precedent. The platform’s lack of control and the alleged misinformation circulating about the Israel-Hamas conflict have further damaged X/Twitters’s credibility. Advertisers, already wary of the platform, may be further pissed-off, impacting X/Twitters’s revenue.
As the conflict continues, the platform’s response to the crisis will be a test for Musk’s version of X/Twitter. The platform’s failure to address the spread of misinformation proves its inability to combat disinformation in the future. Musk’s unpredictable behavior and polarizing political views have already made X/Twitter a platform to avoid for many advertisers.
