What Strategies Against Misinformation? Lessons from X Community Notes: An HEC Paris Insight on Forbes

Meta announced on January 7 that it was discontinuing its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to rely on users to assess the accuracy of posts, adopting a feature similar to that developed on X since Elon Musk took it over. How effective is Community Notes, X? A study by Professor David Restrepo Amariles (Associate Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Law at HEC Paris, member of the Hi! PARIS Chair and holder of the Worldline Chair) and its co-authors, featured on Forbes, analyzed 240,000 ratings of this program to assess its effectiveness in combating misinformation. More globally, the article highlights proactive strategies for businesses to combat misinformation.

In an age where misinformation spreads at unprecedented speeds, the economic and reputational risks for businesses have grown significantly. Recent examples, such as a fake tweet about a Pentagon explosion that shook financial markets or a false claim about Eli Lilly offering free insulin that led to a $22 billion stock drop, underline the high stakes.

Meta’s recent decision to replace independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram with a Community Notes-style system has sparked debate. While Meta claims this user-driven approach promotes “more speech and fewer mistakes,” critics, including the International Fact-Checking Network, warn that it risks amplifying misinformation by undermining accountability and delaying intervention.

Research by David Restrepo Amariles and collaborators examined the effectiveness of X’s (formerly Twitter) Community Notes system, where users collaboratively fact-check misinformation. Findings show Community Notes doubled the likelihood of tweet deletions, yet the median response time of over 18 hours remains insufficient to curb the viral spread of fake news. This aligns with studies indicating falsehoods propagate far faster than facts.

The article highlights proactive strategies for businesses to combat misinformation, such as investing in real-time monitoring tools, collaborating with fact-checking organizations, and training employees to detect and address fake news. Moreover, integrating AI technologies can enhance detection and contextualization efforts, providing near real-time responses.

Leaders are urged to embrace a blend of technological innovation, collective intelligence, and proactive communication to protect their organizations and contribute to a more resilient society.

Read the full article on Forbes here.

Find out more about the research by David Restrepo-Amariles and Yuwei Chuai, Moritz Pilarski, Thomas Renault, Aurore Troussel-Clément, Gabriele Lenzini, Nicolas Pröllochs, Community-based fact-checking reduces the spread of misleading posts on social media, 13 Sep 2024.