SAN FRANCISCO — A report released by a non-profit organization that focuses on online discourse indicates that the Community Notes fact-checking initiative on X, previously known as Twitter, is not effectively dealing with the rising tide of misinformation surrounding U.S. elections.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate conducted an analysis of the Community Notes feature, revealing that a staggering 74% of misleading posts, which included inaccurate information about U.S. elections, did not display relevant corrections or accurate notes. Out of a sample of 283 posts that were flagged as misleading, only 74 displayed appropriate fact-checks.
Among the misleading information not corrected were assertions about the 2020 presidential election being fraudulent and doubts cast on the reliability of voting systems. Moreover, when fact-checks were showcased, the original misleading posts received an astonishing 13 times more views than their corresponding notes.
Community Notes allows users of X to contribute fact-checks on various posts, subject to acceptance into the program. These submissions are evaluated by other users based on clarity, accuracy, source credibility, and neutrality. Originally launched in 2021 under the name Birdwatch, the program was rebranded to Community Notes by Elon Musk after he acquired the platform in 2022.
In a notable legal encounter last year, X filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, claiming substantial financial losses tied to the allegations of increased hate speech on the platform. The lawsuit was ultimately dismissed by a federal court in March.
Keith Coleman, who leads the Community Notes initiative at X, stated that the program is designed to uphold strict standards to ensure notes are both effective and trustworthy. He claimed that substantial numbers of election-related notes have been published and viewed millions of times in the past month, highlighting their quality as the reason for their effectiveness.
Nevertheless, Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, criticized the efficacy of Community Notes, suggesting that it serves merely as a temporary fix amidst a significant surge of bias and misinformation that threatens democratic integrity and exacerbates societal divisions.