European Commission Study: X a Major Source of Disinformation

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Facts

  • According to a European Commission study, X — formerly Twitter — has the biggest proportion of disinformation among six major social media platforms.1
  • The study analyzed over 6K unique social media posts and 4K user accounts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and X in Spain, Poland, and Slovakia.2
  • European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, asking online platforms to address the risk of online meddling in elections and war, specifically urged X's owner, Elon Musk, to comply with EU's laws around disinformation.3
  • Arguing that X had the 'largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts,' Jourova said, 'Disinformation actors were found to have significantly more followers…and tend to have joined the platform more recently than non-disinformation users.'4
  • X had joined the EU's voluntary code of practice on disinformation in 2018 but withdrew from it following the platform's takeover by Musk in 2022. EU intends to bring the code under its Digital Services Act that X will reportedly be subjected to.1

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Tnw, 3Associated Press and 4Forbes.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by TechCrunch. Elon Musk's policy changes at X have led to a tsunami of mis- and disinformation on the platform, as suggested by this report. Since his takeover, the platform has witnessed a cratering of ad revenue due to his failure to tackle toxicity and fake news. His plan to now end free access to X could trigger a final exodus of legacy users while disinformation and spammers fill the gap.
  • Narrative B, as provided by FOX News. X has witnessed a much-needed course correction since the takeover by Musk as he eased restrictive and authoritarian content policies. He has also made the platform much more streamlined. Musk has also been a champion of free speech, and under his leadership, X has become a true digital town square.

Predictions