Elon Musk’s acquisition of X, formerly Twitter, is becoming a focal point of concern as the platform’s role in spreading election-related misinformation intensifies. According to a new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Musk has posted at least 87 claims this year regarding the 2024 U.S. presidential election, many of which have been flagged as misleading or false by fact-checkers. These posts have garnered over 2 billion views, highlighting the massive reach of Musk’s influence on the platform.
The findings raise serious questions about the broader implications of Musk’s actions on X as the election season unfolds. With more than 200 million followers, Musk’s voice dominates X, and recent algorithmic changes have amplified the visibility of his posts, allowing his opinions to reach far beyond his direct follower base.
Musk’s Financial Ties to Trump Campaign
Compounding concerns, Musk has emerged as a major financial backer of former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid. CNN reports that Musk has donated more than $118 million to a super PAC supporting Trump, making him the largest individual donor to the campaign. The PAC has been criticized for running ads that use progressive-sounding language to target conservative voters with policies that don’t align with Vice President Kamala Harris’ platform. These ads include proposals like “mandatory gun buy-backs” and policies to make schools “trans-friendly.”
Meanwhile, the PAC’s spending on Facebook ads has surged, increasing by 1,000% in recent weeks, according to 404 Media. Although Meta recently took action by banning election-related ads, X has not implemented similar restrictions, allowing political messaging to continue unchecked alongside Musk’s personal posts.
Musk’s Political Posts Reach Millions
Data compiled by CCDH shows that since Musk publicly endorsed Trump in July, his political posts have amassed an astounding 17.1 billion views—more than double the total views for all political ads on X during the same period. The CCDH’s research tracked 746 posts from Musk between July and October, many of which focused on election-related topics, including voting, Trump, Harris, and ballot issues. These posts are estimated to be worth the equivalent of $24 million in campaign advertising, according to the report.
False Claims and Disinformation on X
Musk’s posts have been a significant source of misinformation. For example, Musk claimed that “triple-digit increases of illegals in swing states” were part of a strategy to import voters. This post alone garnered 21 million views. Another post falsely suggested that Democrats were planning to ban voter ID nationwide. This claim was seen by nearly 12 million people.
One of the most widely shared claims Musk has pushed is the notion that Democrats are “importing voters” to “make swing states permanently blue,” which has been viewed a staggering 1.3 billion times. Additionally, Musk has frequently questioned the reliability of voting systems, with those posts collectively reaching 532 million views. These types of false narratives contribute to the erosion of trust in the electoral process.
Challenges with Fact-Checking and Regulation
Musk has positioned himself as a champion of free speech, often pointing to X’s Community Notes feature as a solution for fact-checking. However, CCDH’s CEO, Imran Ahmed, criticizes this feature, calling it “a bandaid” that doesn’t address the platform’s deeper issues with disinformation. Ahmed also expressed concern about the use of generative AI to rapidly produce and distribute misleading content, creating a “perpetual disinformation machine” that could significantly impact the election.
Musk’s Response to Criticism
Musk has not been shy about responding to criticism. He has labeled the CCDH a “criminal organization” and even sued the group last year for its negative coverage of X. The lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge, who criticized Musk for trying to silence critics. Despite this, Musk’s rhetoric continues to spark controversy, particularly as the 2024 election approaches.
X did not respond to requests for comment regarding the latest CCDH report, which only adds to the perception that the platform’s content moderation policies have become more lenient under Musk’s leadership.
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