Musk's X Transformation Birthed Public's Division and Erosion of Trust in 2024

Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, now X, the platform underwent what is now famously known as the X transformation, growing from open dialogue into a divisive platform for controversial posts with a bigger effect on public discourse and political influence.

Musk always advocated for freedom of expression to drive structural changes by 2024, and the very same X 2024 transformation faced criticism over misleading political content and hate speech, tarnishing its alternation in business model.

The 2024 X experiment was not the best, as certain users spread misleading political information and hate speech. The X transformation consequences encompassed heightened scrutiny of content moderation and erosion of trust.

X’s Controversial Tones

Two months ago, accounts like “Inevitable West,” promoting “Western Values” rapidly gained over 130,000 followers and millions of daily views.

These profiles spread fake news, including a fabricated video of Trump telling the British Prime Minister he is going to “invade your country and make Britain Great Again.”

The idea of Twitter changing to X owned by Musk, has been the reason behind the spread of misinformation and extremist/biased opinions.

Musk has been criticized because of how X transforms Twitter in ways that hinders Twitter’s legacy of free speech that the platform carries, instead the tech billionaire has successfully established a ground for the spread of false news.

X Social Media Changes 2024

The X transformation, influenced by Trump’s request to support political opinions and oppose censorship by social media companies and governments. One of the major feature changes is the “block” feature that was modified so that blocked users can still see posts, while private likes have reduced visibility.

X premium is a new feature that requires users to pay subscription for verification to gain prominence and financially benefit from posts through high engagement.

It’s iconic, and ironic at the same time, that X has taken zero actions against accounts spreading misinformation, which shows that the value Musk expressed when he decided to change Twitter to X are nothing but words.

Such behavior contrasts with the policies of competitors like Meta and TikTok who take strict actions.

Debate over X Open-Source Algorithm

Recommended algorithms are contributing to X transformation. The divisive content has been a noticeable issue for many users especially political posts supporting Trump, is more likely to show in the “For You” feed. This transformation means that X open-source algorithm prioritizes engagement, that often shows critical and controversial content.

According to experts, other than the broad algorithm of X, Musk’s leadership was the trigger. Under his ruling, the platform became more aligned with extreme political views, becoming a key player in political communication after Musk’s Trump endorsement.

Looking Ahead to X 2025

The future of X transformation seems different as Musk continues to project influence through X, especially through his Trump support and the billionaire becoming a part of Trump’s second administration.

The most likely scenario is X will continue involving political discourse and this might increase than the year 2024. Regulatory pressure will become a problem especially from foreign governments that prioritize online safety.

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