Exclusive-Elon Musk's X restructuring curtails disinformation research, spurs legal fears
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: 'X' logo is seen on the top of the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, California, U.S., July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
The survey of 167 academic and civil society researchers conducted at Reuters' request by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research in September quantifies for the first time the number of studies that have been canceled due to Musk's policies. The survey showed 30 canceled projects, 47 stalled projects and 27 where researchers changed platforms. It also revealed 47 ongoing projects, though some researchers noted that their ability to collect fresh data would be limited.
The reduced ability to study the platform"makes users on vulnerable to more hate speech, more misinformation and more disinformation," said Josephine Lukito, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. An EU Commission spokesperson said it is currently monitoring X's, as well as other large platforms', compliance with the law's obligations, which includes allowing researchers who meet certain conditions to gain access to publicly available data.Before Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, a large proportion of studies about social media had been related to Twitter, because the platform was a valuable source of information about politics and current events.
A majority of survey respondents cited the API changes as the reason for canceling or pausing their studies about the platform. Researchers also face limitations in gathering data from other social platforms. Short-form video app TikTok announced an academic research API earlier this year, but its onerous terms and conditions limit its usefulness for researchers, said Megan A. Brown, a researcher at New York University, in a blog post for Tech Policy Press.) has partnered with external researchers on studies, which is not a substitute for independent research, but shows Meta's willingness to collaborate, Lukito said.
"The move against the CCDH communicates to researchers looking at misinformation and hate speech on online platforms that there is intrinsic liability in publicly disseminating findings," said Bond Benton, an associate professor at Montclair State University, which produced a study last year that found hate speech increased on Twitter in the hours after Musk's takeover.
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