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X has come under fire for how it handles and deals with the spread of misinformation, but a recent study reveals some shocking facts. From the report, it becomes clear that the main source of social media misinformation on the Israel-Hamas conflict is X. Over the past few weeks, the platform has become the burrow for ill-meaning individuals spreading false news about this conflict.
The accounts spreading this misinformation are mostly X Premium accounts. These accounts can push out disinformation to lots of users because of the privileges they enjoy as premium users. From the reports, netizens learn that about 74% of the misleading posts under consideration are from X Premium users.
Premium users on X get a wider reach for their posts than regular users of the platform. So making a misleading post as an X Premium user will help promote it to more users on the platform. This premium feature which became available with Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover is now a weapon for spreading misleading information.
By boosting X Premium accounts, the platform is helping spread misinformation
Before Elon Musk took over Twitter and made it X, the users had access to the Blue subscription plan. With this monthly subscription plan, users could unlock tons of features like post edits and lots more. However, the verification of accounts was left to Twitter, as the platform only handed out Blue ticks to accounts it had verified.
This made it possible for users to identify and follow reliable sources of information in various industries. After Elon Musk took over control of the platform, he started handing out Blue Ticks to random accounts for just $8 per month. Just like with the previous Blue subscription, X premium users also have access to tons of features that regular users don’t have.
Among the privileges these users enjoy is the fact that their posts reach a wider audience of users. With this privilege, ill-meaning users can afford to spread misleading information on issues like the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to the study on this matter, other platforms also have misleading information on the Israel-Hamas conflict, but it mostly sprouts from X.
The EU is already investigating X for its carefree approach to misinformation on its platform. Despite the investigations, X still plans to encourage users to freely share their ideas on various issues. This approach to the spread of information on X is not helpful, as it discourages checks and balances while encouraging the spread of misinformation.