Musk’s Misinformation Spreads Farther on X than Official Fact-Checks
Elon Musk is actively spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation about elections on X, overshadowing election officials who are working to combat this trend.
Despite efforts to counter Musk, the owner of X since 2022, factual information from election officials like Michigan County Clerk Barb Bynum often receives less engagement.
History will be made this November as Americans head to the polls, with the potential for the first female president and the first bearded vice president since 1933, regardless of the outcome.
Despite having fewer followers compared to Musk, Bynum uses her platform to correct misinformation, especially concerning election administration and electoral process integrity.
Over the past month, Musk’s posts spreading election misinformation have been viewed over 200 times more than posts from government officials or fact-checking accounts.
Musk frequently shares false assertions about voting in the U.S. and rarely corrects them when proven wrong. His false claims often get tens of millions of views while rebuttals by election officials attract only tens or hundreds of thousands.
Musk endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and is currently involved in multiple lawsuits and regulatory disputes under the Biden administration.
Recently, Musk revived a false election conspiracy theory about Michigan’s voter registration numbers, suggesting widespread fraud.
Bynum clarified the situation explaining federal regulations regarding voter rolls and inactive voters not receiving ballots.
Musk’s posts have a wide reach on X, where he has the highest number of followers on the platform. He instructed engineers to increase the visibility of his posts in users’ feeds, even for those not following him, after acquiring the site.
Musk recently shared a claim about a Philadelphia homeless shelter being used to “harvest” ballots, which was corrected by a city commissioner, Seth Bluestein.
Bluestein emphasized the importance of verifying information before sharing it, regardless of the number of followers one has.
Musk’s promotion of false claims, including endorsing Trump and supporting debunked conspiracy theories, raises concerns about public trust in the electoral process.
Authorities responding to Musk’s false claims often receive significantly fewer views compared to Musk’s posts, leading to a potential undermining of trust in the electoral system.
