New X report shows platform more compliant with ‘censorship’ under Musk

X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, has issued its first transparency report since Elon Musk took control of the company. The report details a significant increase in both account suspensions and content moderation actions, reflecting the company’s efforts to enforce its rules more strictly.

During the first half of this year, X suspended nearly 5.3 million accounts, more than triple the 1.6 million accounts suspended in the same period in 2022. The company also reported that over 10.6 million posts were either removed or labeled for violating platform rules, with roughly 5 million falling under its “hateful conduct” category.

Posts involving violent content accounted for 2.2 million of the removals or labels, while those related to abuse and harassment reached 2.6 million. However, the company did not specify how many posts were taken down compared to those that were only flagged.

In a previous blog post from April 2023, X noted that it had required users to take down 6.5 million pieces of content in the first half of 2022, marking a 29% rise from the latter part of 2021.

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Musk’s leadership has faced criticism, with some accusing him of turning the platform into a more chaotic and toxic space. He has sparked controversy by sharing conspiracy theories and clashing with political figures and world leaders. Additionally, X remains banned in Brazil after a conflict between Musk and a Brazilian Supreme Court judge over free speech, misinformation and far-right accounts.

X said it relies on a combination of machine learning and human moderators to enforce its rules. Automated systems are tasked with flagging or taking action on problematic content, which is then reviewed by human moderators if needed. The company added that posts violating its policies made up less than 1% of the total content on the platform.

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When Musk sought to acquire Twitter in 2022, he expressed a desire to transform it into a “platform for free speech.” Since completing the purchase in October 2022, Musk has overseen substantial changes, including firing much of the staff. These changes have contributed to the steady departure of many celebrities, public figures, organizations and users from the platform.