The Elon Musk Factor in 2024

Platform Policy Changes and Their Impact on Election Integrity

Platform Policy Impact

28%
Regular Social Media Users
75%
Trust in Vote Counting
47%
Trust in Platform Policies
52%
Exposed to Misinformation

Platform Changes Timeline

October 2023

Major reduction in content moderation team

December 2023

Changes to verification system enabling impersonation

January 2024

Removal of election integrity safeguards

March 2024

Algorithm changes affecting content amplification

Research Findings

"Studies show that while warning labels on misinformation reduced some user interactions, overall engagement with labeled content remained largely unaffected." - Papakyriakopoulos & Goodmann, 2022

Content Moderation

Research shows reduced human moderation led to increased spread of misinformation, particularly affecting election-related content.

Algorithm Bias

Platform changes resulted in algorithmic amplification of certain political content, creating echo chambers and reinforcing biases.

User Behavior

Changes in platform policies affected how users engaged with political content, leading to increased polarization.

Misinformation Spread

Documented Examples

  • False claims about Harris's background
  • Manipulated video content
  • Fabricated headlines from reputable sources
  • False claims about campaign financing