Elon Musk overturned a ban on political adverts imposed by Twitter to combat misinformation before the billionaire purchased the platform now known as X on Tuesday.
The return of possibly false political messaging on X comes less than a week after former President Donald Trump posted there for the first time since January 2021.
Trump tweeted his police mugshot following his detention in Georgia, marking his return to a platform that served as his favorite bullhorn during his presidency.
It was his first post since several days after an outraged crowd of his followers attempted to stop Joe Biden’s certification as president at the US Capitol.
According to the site, X regulations restrict the dissemination of incorrect or misleading information
After the January 6 incident, Twitter permanently suspended Trump, ruling that he had violated the platform’s rules on glorifying violence by promoting his bogus claims that the election was stolen from him.
Musk, who purchased the site last year, reinstated the former president in November 2022, but Trump chose to reach out to his followers on his own network, Truth Social, which has a considerably smaller viewership.
In a blog post, X stated that permitting political advertisements, beginning in the United States, was “building on our commitment to free expression.”
According to the site, X regulations restrict the dissemination of incorrect or misleading information, including fake claims intended to damage trust in an election.
Trump’s most recent mug shot was accompanied by the caption “Election interference.”
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X said it is strengthening its safety and elections teams to counteract platform exploitation and will establish an online portal where political advertisements can be vetted.
Musk reduced employees after purchasing Twitter, prompting questions about the company’s ability to filter content and run reliably.
X said it is amending its Civic Integrity Policy to combat content intended to frighten or deceive voters, in keeping with Musk’s idea of allowing people to express anything they want.
“X shouldn’t determine the truthfulness of disputed information,” the platform said in the blog post.
“Rather, we should empower our users to express their opinions and openly debate during elections, in line with our commitment to protecting freedom of expression.”
