X (formerly Twitter) is worst for disinformation, per EU analysis
TechCrunchSep 25, 2023
The Facts
According to a European Commission study, X — formerly Twitter — has the biggest proportion of disinformation among six major social media platforms.
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.
The Spin
Narrative A
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
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.
Nerd narrative
There's a 51% chance that X will tag The New York Times tweet as misinformation before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.