According to the CCDH report, out of 283 misleading posts regarding U.S. elections that were assessed, a staggering 74%—or 209 posts—did not display accurate corrections through Community Notes. These misleading claims included persistent falsehoods asserting that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that voting systems are unreliable.
The report highlights that when Community Notes were displayed, the original misleading posts received views 13 times more than those of the accompanying corrections, raising questions about the program’s visibility and impact on public perception.
Community Notes allows X users to contribute fact-checks on posts after being accepted as contributors. These checks are then evaluated by other users based on their accuracy, sourcing, clarity, and neutrality. The program, originally launched under the name Birdwatch by Twitter’s previous leadership in 2021, was rebranded as Community Notes after Elon Musk took control of the platform in 2022.
This isn’t the first time X has faced scrutiny over its handling of misinformation. Last year, the platform was sued by CCDH, which blamed it for millions of dollars in advertising revenue losses due to an increase in hate speech on the site. However, the lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge in March.
Keith Coleman, X’s Vice President of Product overseeing Community Notes, defended the initiative, stating that the program maintains a high standard for effectiveness and trust across various viewpoints. He noted that hundreds of election-related notes have been viewed millions of times in the past month alone, asserting their effectiveness based on quality.
Despite X’s claims of reliability, CCDH’s CEO Imran Ahmed emphasized that their research indicates Community Notes is merely a band-aid solution, failing to adequately combat the flood of hate and misinformation undermining democracy and polarizing communities.
As the 2024 election approaches, the efficacy of X’s Community Notes program remains a critical issue, raising concerns about the platform’s role in shaping public discourse and ensuring the integrity of information shared among its vast user base.
