August 9th, 2024

Elon Musk's misleading election claims have accrued 1.2B views on X

Elon Musk's misleading election claims garnered 1.2 billion views on X, with 50 debunked instances lacking fact-checks, raising concerns about accountability and the platform's misinformation handling.

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Elon Musk's misleading election claims have accrued 1.2B views on X

Elon Musk's misleading claims regarding the U.S. election have garnered approximately 1.2 billion views on the social media platform X, according to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The analysis identified 50 instances of debunked election-related claims made by Musk this year, none of which were accompanied by a "Community Note" to provide corrections or context, raising concerns about the effectiveness of X's fact-checking system. Musk, who has a significant following of 193 million on X, has been accused of amplifying disinformation, particularly regarding allegations that Democrats are "importing voters." Despite independent fact-checks confirming that only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections, Musk has repeatedly posted variations of this claim, which have collectively received hundreds of millions of views. The report highlights a lack of accountability for Musk's posts, as they do not appear to be subject to the same scrutiny as those from other users. Additionally, Musk's recent activities include sharing a hoax article about the U.K. and making controversial statements on various social issues. The Center for Countering Digital Hate has previously investigated the spread of extremist content on X and criticized the platform's handling of misinformation.

- Elon Musk's misleading election claims have received 1.2 billion views on X.

- None of Musk's 50 debunked claims were fact-checked by X's Community Notes system.

- Musk has repeatedly claimed that Democrats are "importing voters," despite fact-checks disproving this.

- The report raises concerns about the accountability of Musk's posts compared to other users.

- Musk's influence on the platform is significant, with 193 million followers.

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By @reify - 8 months
1.2B views doesnt mean anyone actually read that shite.

Its probably AI, algorithms and bots viewing his personal page.

Is there really 1.2B people who are interested in what he says.

Thats about 8% of the worlds population.

Stroke my little teeny weeny ego some more