X, formerly known as Twitter, released its first transparency report since 2021 on Wednesday.
Is X really policing content? I think all platforms need to do a better job (Telegram especially) but X is all too willing to turn a blind eye to hate. https://t.co/oiid3KWI0t
Back in 2023, we found a disturbing trend about the spread of hate on X: https://t.co/DhHFcbA0Cf
— Keith Burghardt (@KeithComplexity) September 26, 2024
The report shows that the platform suspended 5.3 million accounts and removed or labeled over 10.6 million posts for rule violations in the first half of the year. Among the posts flagged, around 5 million were marked for “hateful conduct,” 2.2 million for “violent content,” and 2.6 million for “abuse and harassment.” X employs both machine learning and human review to enforce its policies, with automated systems either taking direct action or escalating content to human moderators.
The company stated that posts violating its policies accounted for less than 1% of all content on the platform. However, the number of account suspensions has tripled since Elon Musk took over the company in October 2022. The release of this transparency report comes amid a turbulent period for X.
NEW @TheDrum: @X's new transparency report paints a picture of a platform conflicted, torn by the competing priorities of establishing a haven of unregulated expression and implementing the controls needed to satisfy both governments and advertisers:https://t.co/hKLEXMaDLZ
— Kendra Barnett (@KendraEBarnett) September 26, 2024
Elon Musk has surpassed 199 million followers on 𝕏, with only one million more to hit the 200 million mark. He is the most followed account on 𝕏. pic.twitter.com/cLYKeTv7GY
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) September 29, 2024
The platform has been experiencing a significant decline in active users, particularly in the UK, which accelerated after Musk posted controversial statements during summer riots.
X report highlights policy enforcement
X also faces a major decline in advertising revenue, with research by Kantar indicating a 26% decline in ad spending on the platform for 2025, marking the largest withdrawal from any major global advertising platform.
Marketers’ trust in X has dropped significantly since Musk’s acquisition. Despite these challenges, some industry analysts see potential in Musk’s updates to the platform. Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at New Street Research, praised a recent feature allowing users to add content, calling it revolutionary.
However, criticism persists, with Meta Platforms Inc.’s president for global affairs criticizing X as a “tiny” platform that allows “anyone to say anything,” noting the presence of individuals banned from other platforms. The full transparency report aims to provide insights into the evolving content moderation landscape of X under the leadership of Elon Musk. The uptick in account suspensions and government requests for information marks a notable shift in the platform’s operation under Musk’s ownership, reflecting both heightened regulatory scrutiny and a stricter approach to content moderation.
