After Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter in October 2022, the platform faced serious problems due to the difficulty of controlling harmful and false content, leading to changes in some of the policies on the platform.
This article discusses the new policies implemented by Elon Musk on Twitter and their impact on the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories.
Elon Musk's Inner Circle Boosted on Twitter
According to a tweet by Elon Musk, in response to criticism from William Shatner, Twitter recently began notifying users who had previously been verified that their blue check marks would be removed unless they subscribed as paid members for $8 per month. The company cited a desire for equal treatment for all users as its justification.
However, Twitter appears to have different measures for celebrities, including Musk himself. In accordance with documents obtained by Platformer, Twitter has kept a list of about 35 VIP users who, along with Musk, get extra attention and visibility on the network.
This list includes a diverse range of individuals, such as NBA All-Star LeBron James, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, pseudonymous conservative commentator @catturd2, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, and President Joe Biden, among others.
Platformer stated that when Twitter's engineers spotted a prominent user's engagement declining, they found a means to "tweak" the site's ranking mechanism to make sure "that tweets from those users were always shown."
Elon Musk's special treatment on Twitter differs from that of regular users. Twitter engineers have said the CEO's practice of prioritizing complaints from high-profile users over those from average users effectively compels them to serve as a well-compensated customer support team for Musk and his favored users, according to Platformer.
Twitter Blue Service Increases Fake Accounts
On April 15, 2022, Elon Musk issued a new decision stating that Twitter users with verified accounts and a free blue badge will no longer be able to vote in polls unless they pay a monthly fee of eight dollars for "Twitter Blue." He further tweeted, "This is the only realistic way to address advanced AI bot swarms taking over. It is otherwise a hopeless losing battle," without providing further explanation.
It is worth mentioning that Elon Musk used the poll feature to reinstate the Twitter account of former U.S. President Donald Trump, which had previously been deleted due to his dissemination of conspiracy theories and fake news. According to former Twitter employees, the issue of polls on Twitter attracts robots and fake accounts, and Elon Musk has not clarified his policy on combating them.
The blue badge has been a fundamental element used by Twitter since its inception for verification and as an important means for users to verify known and trusted profiles, organizations, and official companies. However, after taking over as CEO of Twitter, Musk adopted a new policy that allowed any user to obtain the blue badge for eight dollars, which led to an increase in fake accounts, impersonation, and deception.
Recently, Elon Musk announced that as of April 2023, all blue verification badges will be removed from user profiles for those who have not paid the monthly subscription. This has led to many celebrities and users objecting to paying for the blue badge, as well as some institutions, such as The New York Times.
Twitter’s Label of News Outlets
NPR, a news organization that operates independently, has declared that it will cease posting new content on its 52 official Twitter feeds, making it the first major news outlet to go inactive on the social media platform. NPR cited Twitter's characterization of the network as "state-affiliated media," which is the same term used for propaganda outlets in autocratic countries like Russia and China, as the reason behind its decision.
Following NPR's decision to stop posting new content on Twitter, the social media platform revised its label on NPR's account to "government-funded media." NPR, however, contends that this label is inaccurate and misleading, as it is a private nonprofit organization with editorial independence. NPR receives less than 1 percent of its $300 million annual budget from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
NPR's chief executive stated that by going silent on Twitter, the network aims to safeguard its credibility and maintain its ability to produce journalism without being hindered by negative perceptions.
Also, BBC has raised objections to a recent label that refers to it as "government-funded media" on its primary Twitter account. The corporation has contacted Twitter to address this designation on the @BBC account and resolve the issue expeditiously. "The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the license fee," the BBC stated.
When BBC News pointed out to Twitter's CEO that the corporation is funded through the license fee, Mr. Musk responded in an email, inquiring about the accuracy of the Twitter label.
Twitter defines state-affiliated media accounts as outlets where the state exerts control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution. This may include accounts belonging to editors-in-chief or prominent staff of state-affiliated media entities. Additionally, tweets that share links to state-affiliated media websites may also be labeled.
The difference between state-affiliated media and privately-funded media relies mostly on revenues from its viewers or other sources. This confusion undermines credibility and reduces the number of followers for trusted news outlets.
Elon Musk’s Twitter Expands Political Ads
After Musk’s takeover of Twitter, the platform has announced plans to "expand" the types of political advertising allowed on its platform, according to a tweet from the Twitter Safety account on January 4.
This move comes just a few months after Twitter banned all political advertising in late 2019. Interestingly, this change in rules comes despite major ad agencies advising against purchasing ads on the platform.
The Twitter Safety account also announced that “moving forward, we will align our advertising policy with that of TV and other media outlets. As with all policy changes, we will first ensure that our approach to reviewing and approving content protects people on Twitter. We'll share more details as this work progresses.”
Beyond what was mentioned in the tweet, it's unclear what exactly will change under the new policies. Yet, given the forthcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, the reintroduction of political advertisements may significantly affect the platform. Twitter will also be "relaxing" its rules for "cause-based" advertisements connected to issues like climate change or social equity in the U.S, the company said.
Climate Change Misinformation on Elon Musk’s Twitter
Twitter has always been a hub for false information about climate change. Misinformation concerning global warming is spreading on social media under the owner, Elon Musk.
Ketan Joshi, a data analyst and expert in environmental and energy science, says that Elon Musk is reshaping the Twitter platform to become a haven for climate change deniers. Joshi has observed through his analysis that climate change deniers have gained more views and followers during Elon Musk's tenure.
According to Joshi, changes in Twitter algorithms have amplified harmful and misleading posts, and the introduction of Twitter Blue subscriptions has legitimized climate change deniers and resulted in increased visibility of their tweets.
ISD recently conducted an analysis that revealed how fringe websites promoting climate denialism have gained traction in online conversations, with numerous daily mentions on Twitter by influential climate-denying figures and outlets.
Science Feedback, a fact-checking organization that verifies signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network, used data from a consortium of IFCN signatories from Latin America, North America, and Europe to study misinformation superspreaders.
The study found that since the takeover, these superspreader accounts have significantly increased engagement.
Out of the 490 accounts investigated in the study, on average, they received 44% more interactions after the acquisition.
This increase in engagement was partly due to Elon Musk's personal Twitter account, which is one of the most followed and engaged-with accounts on Twitter. Musk had repeatedly interacted with four out of the five accounts that had gained the most influence after the acquisition, contributing to their increased traction.
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