Russian propaganda and disinformation is still very present on online platforms.
X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, is the biggest source of fake news and disinformation, officials in the European Union warned on Tuesday. They urged owner Elon Musk to make greater efforts to combat its spread.
Though X may have been seen as the worst offender, it was hardly singled out. The EU also called upon Google, TikTok, Microsoft and Meta to do more to tackle disinformation—much of it coming from Russia—ahead of upcoming elections on the continent.
X Marks The Spot For Disinformation
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, released on Tuesday a study of the six online platforms in Poland, Slovakia and Spain. There have been concerns about the increase in disinformation related to parliamentary elections in Slovakia, scheduled for this Saturday, as well as those to be held next month in Poland—while the European Parliament elections are set for next year.
X had the dubious distinction of being the platform found to be most used for disinformation campaigns.
European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said in prepared remarks that X had the “largest ratio of mis/disinformation posts” among the platforms that submitted reports to the EU. Especially worrisome is how quickly those spreading fake news are able to find an audience.
“Disinformation actors were found to have significantly more followers,” Jourova continued, adding, “And tend to have joined the platform more recently than non-disinformation users.”
The social media platforms were seen to have turned a blind eye to the spread of fake news.
"I expect the platforms to do more efforts with better results," Jourova stated. "Russian propaganda and disinformation is still very present on online platforms. This is not business as usual; the Kremlin fights with bombs in Ukraine, but with words everywhere else, including in the EU."
X did not respond to a request for comment.
Worse Under Musk?
There has been a steady increase in misinformation/disinformation since Elon Musk—who describes himself as a "free speech absolutist"—took control of the company last year.
"It is not surprising the social network formerly known as Twitter was found to be one of the leaders in spreading disinformation. The EU has been critical of X since Elon Musk grabbed the reigns," explained Jason Mollica, professorial lecturer in the School of Communication at American University.
"Musk ditched the EU's 'Code of Practice on Disinformation' in May when the union warned the platform was boosting the Kremlin's propaganda," Mollica continued. "In fact, when Musk ended free access to X's APIs, the EU's high representative Josep Borrell stated it would harm the study of disinformation."
The EU's announcement on Tuesday also comes as the Climate Action Against Disinformation issued a report this week showing X performed the worst among the major social platforms in combating "climate misinformation and greenwashing."
"Given the guard rails the current owner removed—and what appears to be Elon Musk's penchant for conspiracy theories—I would say this ranking by European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova was inevitable," suggested Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer in the Department of Communication, Film and Media Studies at the University of New Haven. "The message for the rest of us is that if we continue to use X-witter, we should know there be dragons there."
Of course, as noted, X is hardly alone in being a platform for the spread of such fake news—but that isn't really surprising, given that so many social media users are essentially in echo chambers as they seek out "news" they agree with.
"Social networks are now tailor-made for disinformation, but much more should be done to prevent it from spreading widely," noted Mollica. "As we've seen, however, trending topics and algorithms monetize the negativity and anger. Until that practice is curbed, we'll see disinformation continue to dominate feeds."
