X expands team that polices misinformation ahead of 2024 election

THE FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IS NEXT WEEK —

AND JUST AS THE COUNTRY PREPARES FOR A CONTENTIOUS 2024 ELECTION YEAR –

X – FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER – IS MAKING ITS OWN PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF THE ELECTION CYCLE.

THE COMPANY IS NOW HIRING – ANNOUNCING IT’S LOOKING TO ADD EMPLOYEES TO ITS “TRUST AND SAFETY” TEAM.

IN OTHER WORDS – UPPING THE PLATFORM’S POLICING OF POTENTIAL MISINFORMATION IN USERS’ POSTS.

“X” IS RE-EXAMINING HOW IT LABELS, MAKES NOTES TO, OR REMOVES POSTS THAT POTENTIALLY ARE FAKE, MISLEADING, OR HARMFUL.

WHEN ELON MUSK TOOK OVER “TWITTER” –

HE DID SO WITH THE PROMISE OF IT BEING A SAFE SPACE FOR FREE SPEECH.

HE QUICKLY GAINED SUPPORTERS – AND CRITICS.

SUPPORTERS RALLIED BEHIND MUSK IN A TIME SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP WAS RAMPANT – 

DURING THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR IN 2020 – POSTS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND HUNTER BIDEN’S LAPTOP SCANDAL – WERE SLAPPED WITH A LABEL OR CENSORED ENTIRELY.

SOME SUPPORTERS OF MUSK’S MISSION TO FREE SPEECH ARE NOW SKEPTICS.

CLOSELY WATCHING WHAT NEW RULES “X” WILL ASK USERS TO ABIDE BY.

AND WHETHER WHAT THE PLATFORM DEEMS AS “MISINFORMATION” –

COULD IMPACT AN ELECTION.

CRITICS OF MUSK’S RHETORIC TO ROLL BACK CENSORSHIP ARGUED THE SAME CONSEQUENCE – INFLUENCE OVER AN ELECTION –  IF THE PLATFORM **DOESN’T RAMP UP ITS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE MISINFORMATION.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS PICKED UP STEAM SINCE THE LAST ELECTION CYCLE – CREATING WORRY THAT “DEEPFAKES” COULD MISLEAD VOTERS.

EVERYTHING   “X” PLANS TO DO WITH ITS SOON-TO-BE BEEFED UP “TRUST AND SAFETY TEAM” IS NOT FULLY CLEAR RIGHT NOW

BUT ACCORDING TO “THE NEW YORK POST” – 

THE PLATFORM WILL BE BRINGING BACK CONTENT MODERATORS.

REMEMBER- THE PLATFORM CUT 80 PERCENT OF ITS STAFF AFTER MUSK’S TAKEOVER.

THERE ARE FULL-TIME OPENINGS THAT INCLUDE “THE HEAD OF CIVIC INTEGRITY.”

THE COMPANY IS ALSO HIRING CONTRACTORS TO ASSIST SPECIFICALLY FOR ELECTION-RELATED CONTENT – ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.

“X” OFFICIALS HAVE VOWED *NOT TO CENSOR NEWS OUTLETS – AS HAPPENED TO THE NEW YORK POST IN 2020 OVER ITS HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP COVERAGE UNDER THE OLD TWITTER MANAGEMENT.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA SITE **WILL UNLOCK A NEW “COMMUNITY NOTES” FEATURE FOR POLITICAL ADS –

WHICH ALLOWS USERS TO PROVIDE CONTEXT TO ANY POST – OR FLAG IT FOR REVIEW IF IT LOOKS FAKE.

THE DECISION ON WHAT CONTENT SHOULD BE CENSORED OR NOT –

CAN BE HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE.

WHICH MEANS DECISIONS THE NEW “X” TEAM MAKES – WILL LIKELY BE SCRUTINIZED.

BUT IT WON’T BE THE FIRST TIME THE PLATFORM HAS FACED BACKLASH OVER POST CENSORSHIP REVOLVING AROUND A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

THIS WILL BE THE FIRST *U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SINCE MUSK’S TAKEOVER. 

BUT CENSORSHIP DECISIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR INVOLVING THE CLOSE ELECTION IN TURKEY HAD MUSK UNDER FIRE.

THE COMPANY CENSORED POSTS THAT WERE CRITICAL OF INCUMBENT PRESIDENT “RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN” –

AFTER THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT THREATENED TO SHUT TWITTER DOWN IN THE COUNTRY – IF IT DIDN’T CENSOR HUNDREDS OF TWEETS FROM FOUR USERS ACCOUNTS.

MUSK TWEETED IN RESPONSE – “THE CHOICE IS TO HAVE TWITTER THROTTLED IN ITS ENTIRETY OR LIMIT ACCESS TO SOME TWEETS. WHICH DO YOU WANT?”

IT WON’T BE THE LAST TIME MUSK AND HIS X TEAM FIND THEMSELVES BALANCING FREE SPEECH RIGHTS AND FEAR OF MISINFORMATION.