In a bid to combat the growing issue of misinformation, X is implementing a new rule for its crowd-sourced fact-checking tool. This move, while common in professional fact-checking circles, represents a fresh approach for X. Volunteer contributors will now be required to include sources for each community note they create. This decision comes after concerns were raised about the tool's susceptibility to manipulation by bad actors, aggravating misinformation problems, particularly during the Israel-Gaza conflict.
X announced this change, explaining that although some notes may not inherently require sources, this new requirement aims to have a positive impact overall. The decision coincides with a surge in misinformation on X, especially in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Critics have also expressed worries about the viral spread of misleading content related to the conflict.
Under Elon Musk's leadership, X had reduced the teams responsible for curating reliable news and fact-checking. They've mainly relied on Community Notes, a system that allows volunteer contributors to add fact-checks to tweets/posts. This feature, however, has faced criticism for being easily manipulated and making the platform a hub of conspiracy theories, while also causing disputes among contributors. With the introduction of mandatory sourcing, X seeks to elevate the quality of its fact-checking efforts, though specific source guidelines remain absent. The company has seen a recent influx of new contributors and millions of views on these notes.
Read next: Key App Trends In Focus: New Apps Are Decreasing In Popularity As Super Apps Dominate
X announced this change, explaining that although some notes may not inherently require sources, this new requirement aims to have a positive impact overall. The decision coincides with a surge in misinformation on X, especially in the wake of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Critics have also expressed worries about the viral spread of misleading content related to the conflict.
Under Elon Musk's leadership, X had reduced the teams responsible for curating reliable news and fact-checking. They've mainly relied on Community Notes, a system that allows volunteer contributors to add fact-checks to tweets/posts. This feature, however, has faced criticism for being easily manipulated and making the platform a hub of conspiracy theories, while also causing disputes among contributors. With the introduction of mandatory sourcing, X seeks to elevate the quality of its fact-checking efforts, though specific source guidelines remain absent. The company has seen a recent influx of new contributors and millions of views on these notes.
Read next: Key App Trends In Focus: New Apps Are Decreasing In Popularity As Super Apps Dominate
