The Bedford Independent has deleted its ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account after becoming increasingly concerned with the way the platform is being used to spread misinformation, fake news and extremist propaganda.
The founders of the Bedford Independent decided to delete the publication’s account after reports the platform would no longer allow users to flag potentially misleading information or fake news.
“As a respected and responsible news source, our priority must always be fact-based reporting,” said Paul Hutchinson, co-founder and co-managing editor of the Bedford Independent.
“The need for verified and trusted information is more important than ever and it is a shame that someone who owns one of the largest social media channels in the world does not understand that constructive free speech comes with responsibility.
“These and other changes on ‘X’ mean our editorial values no longer align with the way Musk wants to run his platform.”
The Guardian reported yesterday that ‘X’ has removed the ability for people to report posts on the platform that may contain misleading information.
Since 2021, users on ‘X’ in countries including the US, Australia and South Korea had been able to flag tweets that they believed contained misleading information for review by staff at the company.
This was separate from other processes the company has in place to report abuse or hate speech.
Elon Musk, who owns ‘X’ has said pushing against censoring content on platforms was a key reason for taking over Twitter as it was then called.
He has also removed blocks from controversial conspiracy theorists and extremists who had been banned under the platform’s previous rules.
Despite this, and with ongoing claims he is a protector of free speech, Musk has banned several journalists from the site which he falsely claimed shared his “exact real-time” location.
Erosion of safety
The removal of this ‘misinformation flagging’ feature is just one of several safety features removed from ‘X’, adding to its reputation as an “unsafe” outlet for accurate information.
In November last year, the company stopped enforcing its COVID misinformation policy, whereas last month The Washington Post reported that the block function, which had long been seen as protection against harassment would be “greatly limited”.
Both Apple and Google have said they require apps listed in their app stores to provide the ability to block users.
“Twitter was always a place where discussion was free and open, but where people could trust what they were reading was largely accurate. Since taking over, ‘X’ has become a dangerous platform for extremist views and misinformation,” added Paul.
“The ongoing erosion of safety features that worked to stem the flow of misinformation and harassment has made the platform unsafe. No genuinely responsible publication or media organisation can ethically endorse such a platform.”
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