According to a study conducted by the European Commission, X (formerly known as Twitter) has the highest proportion of disinformation among six major social networks. The study analyzed over 6,000 social media posts across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube in Spain, Poland, and Slovakia. The EU’s Values and Transparency Commissioner, Vera Jourova, warned X to comply with the law and stated that the EU will closely monitor its actions. The study also revealed that Twitter had the largest ratio of discoverability of disinformation, while YouTube had the lowest. X, which was previously known as Twitter, had initially signed up for the EU’s voluntary code of practice on disinformation but later withdrew. However, X will be subject to the EU’s Digital Services Act, which regulates the conduct of large tech platforms. The act could impose fines of up to six percent of global turnover on companies that fail to comply. The EU has accused social media companies, including X, of failing to prevent Russian disinformation campaigns since the invasion of Ukraine. The reach and influence of Kremlin-backed accounts have grown, and the Russian state is using disinformation as a weapon of mass manipulation. The threat is particularly significant due to the war in Ukraine and upcoming European elections. The EU is also working on addressing AI-generated disinformation ahead of the elections and is in discussions with OpenAI regarding this matter.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disinformation most active on X | Disinformation prevalence on social networks | Improved regulation and detection systems | Regulatory pressure and public demand |
| X has the biggest proportion of disinformation | Social media platforms’ content moderation | Stricter moderation policies and technologies | Concerns about misinformation and its impact |
| X will be subject to the EU’s Digital Services Act | Compliance with regulations | Increased accountability and penalties | Ensuring adherence to standards |
| Russian disinformation campaigns on social media | Influence of foreign disinformation campaigns | Enhanced efforts to combat disinformation | Concerns about foreign interference |
| Work underway on tackling AI-generated disinformation | Addressing AI-generated disinformation | Improved detection and prevention technologies | Concerns about AI-generated misinformation |