Musk Pledges to ‘Fix’ X After Zelenskyy Poll Support

Elon Musk Pledges to Revamp X's Fact-Checking Tool After Zelenskyy Poll Controversy

Elon Musk has vowed to "fix" the fact-checking tool on X (formerly Twitter) following opinion polls that challenge claims made by Donald Trump regarding the popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Musk, aligning with Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy on Thursday, argued that the platform's "community notes" feature was being manipulated by governments and mainstream media. He reposted an unverified right-wing account that questioned the credibility

 of a Ukrainian polling organization, accusing it of working closely with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Musk further asserted that if Zelenskyy were truly popular in Ukraine, he would hold an election. He argued that Zelenskyy, having control of Ukrainian media, had canceled elections to avoid a potential loss. Musk shared an unfounded claim suggesting that US intelligence agencies estimate Zelenskyy’s approval rating to be as low as 4 percent.

He continued by suggesting that Zelenskyy is "despised" by Ukrainians, pointing to Zelenskyy’s decision to suspend elections after martial law was declared following Russia's 2022 invasion. Musk challenged Zelenskyy to hold an election and disprove these claims. However, Musk did not provide evidence of manipulation within X's community notes system, which uses user consensus to add context to disputed posts. He also failed to substantiate claims that the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, which conducted widely reported polling, was "Zelensky-controlled" and thus "not credible."

Experts expressed concern over Musk’s remarks. Lucas Graves, a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described Musk's comments as troubling, warning that such rhetoric could lead to private platforms like X being manipulated to favor specific political interests. Graves emphasized that a well-functioning community notes system requires transparent and consistent rules to effectively combat misinformation. Similarly, John Wihbey, an associate professor at Northeastern University, highlighted that crowdsourced fact-checking models could easily be influenced by platform owners, especially when the results conflict with their personal or political views. This latest development raises questions about the integrity and transparency of fact-checking mechanisms on social media platforms like X, and the growing influence of their owners on shaping public discourse.

Musk Vows to Revamp X’s "Community Notes" Feature After Zelenskyy Criticism

Elon Musk has committed to improving the “community notes” feature on X (formerly Twitter) after accusations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy manipulated the platform’s fact-checking system. Musk's comments come amid growing tensions between Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump over efforts to negotiate a deal with Russia to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. John Wihbey, an associate professor at Northeastern University, 

noted that while community notes is a valuable tool, it needs to be paired with other mechanisms. Wihbey pointed out that X is over-relying on the feature, and it is ironic that Musk is now criticizing its functionality.

Musk’s remarks, which align with Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy, included an accusation that Zelenskyy was a “dictator.” Trump also claimed that Zelenskyy’s approval rating in Ukraine was “very low” and repeated an earlier statement suggesting that the Ukrainian president’s approval was only 4 percent. However, a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published Wednesday indicated that 57 percent of Ukrainians trusted Zelenskyy, a 5 percent increase from December. Despite this, Zelenskyy’s popularity has dropped since the start of the war, with approval falling from 90 percent in March 2022 to 64 percent by February 2023. However, even with the decline, Zelenskyy continues to hold significant trust among the Ukrainian population amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Since acquiring X in 2022, Musk has faced significant criticism for allowing and at times promoting misinformation on the platform. A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that nearly three-quarters of misleading posts about the 2024 US elections lacked corrections. This has raised concerns about the platform’s role in spreading false narratives and undermining reliable information. Gordon Pennycook, a Cornell University psychology professor, expressed concerns that X could become a propaganda tool for Musk and Trump. Pennycook also speculated that Musk's push to reform community notes stems from his discomfort with being corrected, which he linked to behavior typical of "authoritarian oligarchs."

Critics argue that the community notes system is in need of greater transparency and oversight to ensure that it serves its intended purpose of correcting misinformation. This criticism highlights the growing concerns about social media platforms becoming tools for shaping political narratives, especially when the platform’s owner has strong political affiliations. As Musk seeks to overhaul X’s fact-checking mechanisms, the effectiveness of such changes will likely come under close scrutiny in the coming months.

References

 

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