The popular social media platform formerly known as Twitter is currently in the process of hiring new employees. This move is partly motivated by concerns about the upcoming presidential election in 2024.
X, which underwent significant downsizing and rebranding after being taken private by Elon Musk, has already brought on a few new team members and is actively interviewing dozens more candidates. The objective is to strengthen X’s “Trust and Safety” team, which is responsible for monitoring and combating the spread of disinformation. With the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence and the rise of deepfake technology, the spread of false information poses a significant threat to the integrity of the 2024 election.
One crucial aspect of the plan is the rehiring of content moderators, including the recruitment of a head of civic integrity. X is also looking to collaborate with contractors to assist with election-related tasks, according to inside sources.
Among the upcoming tools that X plans to introduce is a version of its “Community Notes” feature. This feature allows users to flag AI-generated images and provides an opportunity for additional context to be added to tweets, especially in the realm of political advertisements.
Recent reports indicate that several brands, including Adobe, Gilead Sciences, NYU Langone Hospital, and NCTA-The Internet and Television Association, had their ads shown alongside tweets from an account promoting neo-Nazi views. As a result, Gilead and NCTA have temporarily paused their ad spending on X. The platform has not yet responded to this issue.
While X has made assurances that it will not censor news outlets, there will inevitably be ongoing debates surrounding the identification and removal of fake posts.
“We won’t see a repeat of incidents like the silencing of the Hunter Biden story just days before the election,” commented Joel Thayer, President of Digital Progress Institute, referring to Twitter’s previous decision to censor The Post’s coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop scandal.
However, concerns remain regarding potential mechanisms in place that could silence or amplify certain voices. Thayer expressed his belief that Elon Musk, while heavily involved in the content curation process, is not the sole decision-maker.
Earlier this week, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced the company’s plans to expand its workforce, transitioning from a focus on cost discipline to pursue growth. This growth will be accompanied by an increase in hiring, according to Yaccarino.
In addition to recent reports of X reducing traffic to websites like Meta and news organizations disliked by Musk, such as The New York Times, Thayer referenced a previous election incident in Turkey. X faced criticism after censoring posts critical of the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan due to threats of a shutdown.
Musk’s willingness to yield under pressure has raised concerns among advocates for free speech, who fear that he may comply in other situations where the stakes are even higher.
“There should be a balance between combatting misinformation and allowing free discourse,” explained Collier Fernekes, founder of Fern Strategies, emphasizing the need for clear guidelines and terms of service to
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