Musk Vows to Fix X Fact-Checking

Image credits: Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo

Elon Musk has pledged to “fix” X’s fact-checking tool following the release of polling contradicting United States President Donald Trump’s claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is deeply unpopular in his country. Musk claimed that his social media platform’s “community notes” feature was being “gamed” by governments and traditional media. The Tesla CEO made the claim while amplifying an anonymous right-wing X account that questioned the credibility of a widely cited Ukrainian polling outfit because of its work with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk also shared unsubstantiated claims that US intelligence agencies estimate Zelenskyy’s approval to be just 4 percent, which contradicts recent polls showing that 57 percent of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy.

Musk’s comments have sparked concerns over misinformation and censorship on the platform. Lucas Graves, a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described Musk’s comments as “extremely concerning” and noted that a well-designed community notes system can be a useful check on misinformation, but it requires transparent rules that make it easy for users to surface reliable information. John Wihbey, an associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University, said that an inescapable feature of crowdsourced fact-checking models is that a platform’s owner or management may not like the results, and that community notes should be blended with other tools to ensure accuracy.

The controversy surrounding X’s fact-checking tool comes as the Ukrainian leader and the Trump administration have been engaged in a war of words over Washington’s efforts to reach a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has accused Zelenskyy of being a “dictator” and claimed that he is deeply unpopular in his country, while Zelenskyy has rejected Trump’s claims and raised concerns about being sidelined in Washington’s negotiations with Moscow. The situation has highlighted the importance of fact-checking and the need for reliable information in the face of conflicting claims and propaganda.

Community Notes has been touted as a solution to monitoring misinformation online, but its effectiveness has been questioned by experts. Neil Johnson, a George Washington University physics professor, said that the Community Notes model is problematic because crowdsourcing is an inherently “imperfect system” for landing on the truth and is a poor substitute for “formal fact checking.” A recent study by the Spanish fact-checking nonprofit Maldita showed that many X users still rely on information from professionals, highlighting the need for a combination of community-driven and expert-based fact-checking approaches.

The incident has also raised questions about the role of social media platforms in shaping public discourse and the potential for manipulation by powerful individuals and governments. As social media continues to play a major role in shaping public opinion, it is essential to ensure that fact-checking tools are effective, transparent, and resistant to manipulation. The development of community-driven fact-checking models like Community Notes is a step in the right direction, but it requires ongoing evaluation and improvement to ensure that it serves the public interest and promotes a well-informed citizenry.