Community Notes Failing to Counter False Claims, Report Says

(Reuters) – The crowd-sourced fact-checking feature of Elon Musk's X, Community Notes, is "failing to counter false" claims about the U.S. election, according to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) released on Wednesday.

Key Findings

Out of the 283 misleading posts analyzed by CCDH, 209 (74%) did not feature accurate notes to correct false claims regarding the elections. These misleading posts collectively received 2.2 billion views.

CCDH urged X to enhance its safety and transparency measures, stating, "The 209 misleading posts in our sample that did not display available Community Notes to all users have amassed 2.2 billion views."

X has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters.

Background on Community Notes

X launched its "Community Notes" feature last year, allowing users to comment on posts and flag misleading content, effectively crowd-sourcing the fact-checking process instead of utilizing a dedicated team.

This report follows a lawsuit earlier this year in which X was criticized for allowing an uptick in hate speech on the platform.

Ongoing Issues with Misinformation

Social media platforms, including X, have faced increasing scrutiny over the dissemination of misinformation and conspiracy theories over the years, particularly regarding elections and vaccines.

Recently, state secretaries from five U.S. states urged Musk to address issues with X's AI chatbot, which had been spreading misinformation about the Nov. 5 election.

Musk, who endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump last month, has himself faced accusations of spreading misinformation, as polls indicate Trump is in a tight race with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.