X releases first transparency report since Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover

X has released its first transparency report since Elon Musk took over the company in 2022. In the past, the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, would provide twice-yearly reports. However, since the billionaire bought the network, there hasn’t been a report since the second half of 2021, which was 50 pages long.

The reports would usually outline information related to numbers for takedowns, government requests for information, content removals, reported posts, as well as content that was removed for violating policies. The new 15-page report provides similar data, however, the way the company measures different aspects has changed.

At the time, Musk openly criticized the government’s “bullying” of social media platforms and tech leaders, which included blocking researchers’ access to internal data, such as transparency reports.

However, the platform now states: “Our policies and enforcement principles are grounded in human rights, and we have been taking an extensive and holistic approach towards freedom of expression by investing in developing a broader range of remediations, with a particular focus on education, rehabilitation, and deterrence.”

The report adds: “These beliefs are the foundation of ‘Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach’— our enforcement philosophy, which means we restrict the reach of posts, only where appropriate, to make the content less discoverable as an alternative to removal.”

In 2021, 11.6 million accounts were reported, with 4.3 million of these being “actioned” and 1.3 million ultimately suspended. The latest X report shows a significant increase, with over 224 million reports covering both accounts and individual content, resulting in 5.2 million accounts being suspended.

Elon Musk’s compliance in taking down accounts and content as requested by govts (called ‘censorship’ by his fans) has risen sharply, despite Musk’s anti-censorship rhetoric here.

It’s up from 50% to 70%, on average. And it’s 80% in the EU.

Compliant.https://t.co/NLgCUW68v2 pic.twitter.com/TFkYLeTYlw

— Adrian Weckler (@adrianweckler) September 25, 2024

The reports show consistent abuse and harassment cases, but some areas have seen significant changes. In 2021, hateful content accounted for nearly half of all reports, with one million accounts actioned. X submitted 370,588 reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the year’s first half, suspending over two million accounts engaging in harmful content. Reports to NCMEC rose from 86,000 in 2021 to 98,000 in 2022, then surged to 870,000 in 2023.

The report also provides limited data on government requests. In 2021, X/Twitter received 11,460 information requests, complying with 40.2 percent. By 2024, requests rose to 18,000, with a 52 percent compliance rate.

ReadWrite has reached out to X for comment.

Featured image: Ideogram

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