Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur known for his leadership roles at SpaceX and Tesla, has been a controversial figure since his acquisition of Twitter, now known as X. His tenure has been marked by significant changes to the platform’s policies and a surge in contentious content, raising concerns about the platform’s role in disseminating information and shaping public discourse.
A Surge in Controversial Content
Since Musk’s takeover, Twitter has seen a dramatic increase in hateful, violent, and inaccurate posts. This surge in harmful content has been linked to policy changes implemented by Musk, including the removal of certain content moderation safeguards.
For instance, Twitter’s algorithm, which recommends political content to users, has been found to favor right-leaning political parties and news outlets more than those on the left. This has led to an increase in the visibility and spread of right-wing content, contributing to a more polarized political discourse on the platform.
Spreading Conspiracies and Lies
Musk himself has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation. For example, he amplified a fringe conspiracy theory about the fall of the cryptocurrency company FTX, baselessly claiming that FTX laundered money intended for Ukraine to Democratic midterm campaigns.
Moreover, Musk has been known to attack individuals and companies on the platform. His tweets have triggered chaos, including mass firings and a drop in the stock price of pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
The Right Wing and Twitter
The right-wing has been particularly active on Twitter, using the platform to spread hate speech and propaganda. This has been facilitated by Twitter’s algorithm, which has been found to favor right-leaning politics.
Furthermore, several fringe characters that were banned under the previous management have been reinstated. They include Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website, and Liz Crokin, one of the biggest propagators of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
Global Social Impact
The impact of these trends is not confined to the United States. Twitter’s study examined tweets from political parties and users sharing content from news outlets in seven countries around the world: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the U.S. In six out of these seven countries, tweets posted by political-right elected officials are algorithmically amplified more than the political left.
The changes to Twitter under Elon Musk’s leadership have sparked a significant debate about the role of social media platforms in shaping public discourse and the spread of misinformation. As Twitter continues to evolve under Musk’s direction, it is crucial to continue monitoring these trends and their impact on society.
Please note that this article is based on available data and does not intend to make sweeping generalizations about all users of Twitter. People’s political beliefs and behaviors on social media are complex and cannot be fully explained by a single factor. It’s always important to engage in respectful and open-minded conversations about these topics.
Hiding Likes on Twitter
In a significant policy shift, X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has decided to hide ‘likes’ from public view. This change was announced by X’s engineering team and is part of a broader effort to “better protect” users’ privacy.
Under the new policy, users can still see posts they have liked, but others cannot. Like counts and other metrics for a user’s own posts will still show up under notifications. A post’s author can see who liked its posts. The option to hide likes was previously just available to paying Premium subscribers.
The decision to hide likes follows another significant policy update on X that allows consensually produced and distributed adult pornographic content as long as it’s “properly labeled and not prominently displayed”. The move to hide likes could be seen as a way to protect users who like such content from potential backlash or judgment.
However, the change has sparked mixed reactions among users. Some appreciate the increased privacy, while others miss the ability to see what posts are popular among their followers. Despite the controversy, this change is another example of how social media platforms are constantly evolving in response to user behavior, societal trends, and privacy concerns.
