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Elon Musk and Platform X at Center of Election Misinformation, Say Experts. According to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Elon Musk’s misleading claims about the U.S. election have reached over 2 billion views on X this year, Reuters reports. Misinformation experts warn that X has become a key conduit for spreading false information, especially concerning battleground states crucial to the presidential election outcome. X’s spokesperson claims its Community Notes feature, allowing users to add context to posts, is more effective at identifying misleading content than traditional warning flags. Since acquiring X (formerly Twitter), Musk has scaled back content moderation, significantly reduced staff, and shown public support for Trump in his close race against Kamala Harris. Kathleen Carley from Carnegie Mellon explains that Musk’s 203 million followers amplify X’s content across platforms like Reddit and Telegram, helping misinformation spread widely. The Center for Countering Digital Hate found that at least 87 of Musk’s posts this year promoted misleading election claims, many of which have been debunked by fact-checkers. In Pennsylvania, X users have misrepresented routine flagging of incomplete voter registrations as election interference, stirring up baseless fraud claims, says Philip Hensley-Robin of Common Cause. Common Cause’s Hensley-Robin clarified that all Pennsylvania election officials are following rules to ensure only eligible voters cast ballots, refuting false fraud claims. Cyabra reported that an X account with 117,000 followers played a major role in spreading a fake video falsely depicting Trump ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania. A spokesperson for X said the platform acted against numerous accounts sharing the fake video, part of its effort to curb election-related misinformation.
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