X's Removal of Misinformation Reporting Feature Sparks Debate Over Election Safety

Tech giant X, formerly known as Twitter, has reportedly disabled a feature that allowed users to report misinformation related to elections, according to Reset.Tech Australia. The removal of this tool, which was implemented in several countries, has raised concerns about the spread of electoral misinformation, particularly in the lead-up to significant events like a key referendum in Australia and the 2024 US presidential elections.

Reset.Tech Australia expressed its alarm over the removal of this feature, stating in a letter that the move is "extremely concerning." The Australian referendum, scheduled for October 14, marks the country's first in almost 25 years. Without the reporting tool, users may find it challenging to combat misinformation ahead of this pivotal vote.

The impact isn't limited to Australia; it could also affect users' ability to report election-related misinformation in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential elections. The reporting feature, initially available in the US, Australia, and South Korea since 2021, was expanded to include Brazil, the Philippines, and Spain last year.

Previously, users could report misleading political content by selecting "Report Content," then "It's misleading," and finally "Politics." However, this tool has disappeared, leaving users with no direct channel to report electoral misinformation on the platform.

While the feature is no longer available to users in the UK, it remains in place within the European Union, albeit with a slightly altered format. EU users can report a post for "Negative effects on civic disorders or elections."

Recent research by the European Commission suggests that X has the highest proportion of disinformation among the major social networks. The study examined over 6,000 unique social media posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and YouTube. It found that X had the largest "ratio of discoverability" of disinformation, meaning users were more likely to come across misleading content on this platform. In contrast, YouTube had the lowest discoverability ratio.