Elon Musk Fact-Checked by Own System, Alleges Influence by State Actors

Elon Musk raised concerns about the integrity of his community notes system on X (previously Twitter), alleging that it has been susceptible to manipulation by state actors. This revelation came following the fact-checking of one of Musk’s own posts. Since his $44 billion (£38 billion) takeover of the social media platform in October last year, the billionaire has championed the community-based fact-checking system as a pivotal measure to combat disinformation.

But on Sunday, one of his own posts was marked with a community note, after he commented on the detention of US YouTuber Gonzalo Lira in Ukraine.

Lira, a critic of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government, has been detained amid accusations of breaching a Ukrainian law which makes justifying or denying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine illegal.

He is scheduled to appear in court on those charges this week.

Musk wrote: “What is the status of this American journalist, Joe Biden?”

But a community note later appeared on the post, saying: “Lira is actually a YouTuber.

“He denied the Bucha massacre and other RU attacks against civilians, exposed the location of Western journalists and Ukrainian soldiers, including their faces, among other crimes.”

Musk, in response to his own post, then claimed the community note had been “gamed by state actors”.

He wrote: “Interesting. This Note is being gamed by state actors. Will be helpful in figuring out who they are.

“Thanks for jumping in the honey pot, guys.”

Nonetheless, the post in question faced scrutiny in its own right, prompting a note that highlighted specific criteria designed to vet Community Notes contributors and prevent potential manipulation within the system.

Originally introduced as Birdwatch in 2021, the community notes program made its debut under the platform’s previous ownership.

This system engages contributors to rate and eventually compose notes on posts, with final approval by the community before publication.

Posts adorned with a community note are also restricted from generating revenue.

Elon Musk has prioritized this initiative in his strategy against disinformation, branding it a “game changer” in combating misinformation and promoting accuracy on the platform.