Elon Musk criticized for low number of X’s content moderators
According to reports by the European Union, Elon Musk’s social media platform X has only 2,294 content moderators, much less than its competitors like Google’s YouTube, Google Play, and TikTok. This is raising concerns about the company’s ability to combat illegal and harmful content.
The report suggests that the pressure from regulatory bodies and competition might force X to increase the number of content moderators. This comes after Musk laid off several personnel responsible for monitoring and regulating material, leading to a surge in misinformation on the platform.
The situation is further exacerbated by the widespread dissemination of fake news and misinformation during events like the Israel-Hamas war. Users, including journalists and fact-checkers, struggled to verify information due to an unprecedented amount of misleading content.
Nevertheless, X announced that it will expand its content moderation team ahead of the 2024 elections, signaling its efforts to address concerns about misinformation. This is seen as a step in the right direction, especially in light of the increasing sophistication of technologies like AI.
The layoffs of X’s content moderators have been met with criticism, with experts and former employees expressing concern over the impact on the platform. Some fear that reducing the content moderation team could lead to an increase in harassment and the spread of false information.
Overall, the pressure on X to improve its content moderation practices is mounting, prompting steps to bolster its trust and safety mechanisms. Whether these efforts will be sufficient to overcome the challenges and criticism remains to be seen.