Combating misinformation: Elon Musk's X activates 'Community Notes' program in India

New Delhi: Social media platform X has expanded its ‘Community Notes’ program to India, a fact-checking type feature that allows people to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts.

The activation of ‘Community Notes’ program in India comes at a crucial juncture when the world’s most populous democracy is scheduled to hold Lok Sabha elections over seven-phases between April 19 and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.

Elon Musk, the billionaire boss of X (formerly Twitter), in a post said, “Community Notes now active on India!” Welcoming new contributors in India, X’s official ‘Community Notes’ handle posted, “Our first contributors are joining today, and we’ll be expanding over time. As always, we’ll monitor quality to ensure that notes are found helpful by people from different points of view.” Community Notes now has contributors in 69 nations around the world, it said, adding “and we’re adding more regularly”.

According to information on the X’s helpcentre, “Community Notes aims to create a better informed world by empowering people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts.” Contributors can leave notes on any post and if enough contributors from different points of view rate that note as helpful, the note is publicly shown on a post.

X described Community Notes as a collaborative way to keep people better informed.

“Contributors are people like you. Anyone on X whose account meets the eligibility criteria can sign up to help. All contributors start with the ability to rate notes, and over time, can earn the ability to write,” the content on the sign-up page to join Community Notes read.

Notes are not chosen by majority rule. Community Notes identifies notes that are found helpful by and for people with different points of view.

“X doesn’t choose what shows up: the people do,” it said.

To join the Community Notes pilot program, the X account must have no rules violations on the platform since Jan 1, 2023; and at least six months on the platform. The eligibility criteria also calls for a verified phone number with a trusted phone carrier, adds that the number should not be associated with other ‘Community Notes’ accounts.

Over the last months, social media platforms have lined up a slew of measures to combat misinformation, false news, and deepfakes and with polls just weeks away, the election integrity efforts too have been scaled up by big tech players who count India among their major market.