Musk's X Platform is Failing in Its Fact Checking

[Stephen3141]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musks-x-ineffective-against-surge-us-election-misinformation-report-says-2024-10-31/

Unfortunately, Elon seems to confuse what is popular (among X users),
and what is true. He has not hired dedicated fact checkers, as most
respectable American news sources do.

X is failing to properly identify false posts. And so, it is promoting all
sorts of false information.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musks-x-ineffective-against-surge-us-election-misinformation-report-says-2024-10-31/

Unfortunately, Elon seems to confuse what is popular (among X users),
and what is true. He has not hired dedicated fact checkers, as most
respectable American news sources do.

X is failing to properly identify false posts. And so, it is promoting all
sorts of false information.

That is the whole point of X - there is no 'official' fact-checking or censorship; that is left to 'community notes' what allows other users to point out factual incorrect or incomplete information.

As soon as there is an official body responsible for identifying and removing 'lies' you end up with a Ministry of Truth/censorship. Because my truth is someone else 's lie, and vice-versa.

So yes, now users are allowed to post nonsense or propaganda - it is up to the community or myself to sort it out.

The only thing that X enforces are the laws for any particular country where X is used. So e.g. for Germany it enforces/complies with German Law, in Australia it complies with Australian Law, and for the USA it complies with USA Law.

Freedom of speech comes with the right to utter nonsense or to offend someone - but I would rather have that than overt/covert censorship (aka 'fact-checking').

And X users are voting with their feet - despite the lamentations X would be dying after the Musk take-over; an increasing number of users worldwide are choosing X as their primary source of news; much to the dismay of some governments who are very keen on their ability to censor any 'inconvenient' opinion - like e.g. the current UK Government.