A report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate reveals that false claims by Elon Musk about the U.S. election have gained around 2 billion views on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) this year. Experts warn that X has become a key channel for spreading misinformation in critical battleground states, potentially impacting the presidential race outcome.
Since taking over X, Musk has reduced content moderation, supported former President Donald Trump, and allowed unchecked narratives to flourish. Musk’s influence, with nearly 203 million followers, amplifies the spread of content to other platforms, like Reddit and Telegram, creating "network effects," according to Carnegie Mellon professor Kathleen Carley. The report highlights that 87 of Musk’s posts about the election were rated false or misleading by fact-checkers.
In Pennsylvania, X users misinterpreted incomplete voter registrations as election interference, while election officials clarified that all protocols were followed to ensure eligible voting. Additionally, Cyabra, a disinformation detection firm, reported that a major X account helped spread a fake video showing alleged destruction of Trump ballots in Pennsylvania.
