X's Alleged Removal of Political Reporting Option Leaves Users Defenseless Against Electoral Misinformation

X, formerly known as Twitter, appears to have removed a crucial feature that allowed users to report misleading political information directly.

This change, which has sparked outrage among users and digital watchdogs alike, has left many questioning the platform's commitment to combating electoral misinformation just weeks before crucial elections in the United States and Australia.

X Shuts Down Critical Reporting Tool

TechCrunch tells us that the feature in question was introduced in 2021 and allowed users in select countries, including the US, Australia, South Korea, Brazil, the Philippines, and Spain, to flag tweets they deemed as containing misleading political information.

This reporting tool was considered vital, especially during election periods, as it provided users with a straightforward way to bring attention to false or misleading content related to politics.

However, recent reports suggest that X has quietly removed the "politics" category from its reporting options in all jurisdictions except the European Union (EU).

This move has raised concerns about the platform's commitment to election integrity and the fight against misinformation.

Read Also: Engagement with Foreign Propaganda Surges on X After Elon Musk's Policy Change: Report

Advocacy Group Sounds Alarm

The Guardian reports that Reset.Tech Australia, a digital platforms critic group, first brought this change to public attention.

In an open letter to the Elon Musk-owned social network, they argued that this removal comes at a precarious moment, just ahead of significant votes in both the US and Australia.

Australia is gearing up for a referendum on establishing an Indigenous advisory body to parliament, a historic vote set for October 14. Meanwhile, the United States is only weeks away from its off-year election and 14 months away from its next presidential election.

Alice Dawkins, the executive director of Reset.Tech Australia expressed deep concern about the timing of this decision, especially considering the potential impact on Australia's electoral integrity.

She questioned why X would backtrack on its commitment to combatting serious misinformation that has the potential to destabilize political landscapes.

Furthermore, Reset.Tech Australia's open letter to X's managing director for Australia, Angus Keene, highlighted the possible consequences of this change.

They raised concerns that removing the reporting feature could leave content that violates X's policies on electoral misinformation without an appropriate review process.

This could potentially allow false information to circulate unchecked, undermining the democratic process.

X's Policy

It is worth noting that X's Civic Integrity Policy explicitly forbids electoral misinformation; the said group also echoes this.

However, the policy focuses on specific areas, such as misleading information about how to participate in a vote, attempts to suppress participation and false or misleading affiliations.

Interestingly, it does not include a broader ban on inaccurate statements about elected officials, candidates, or political parties.

X's Content Moderation Efforts

As TechCrunch points out, this recent development also sheds light on X's response to content moderation.

In an April update to its "enforcement philosophy," X preferred restricting the reach of posts that violate its policies rather than removing them entirely.

This approach, known as "visibility filtering," aims to make the content less discoverable and add labels where necessary.

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