Elon Musk on Thursday revealed that a feature on his social media platform, X designed to allow users to fact-check potentially misleading posts has been “gamed” in relation to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, and he vowed to “fix” it. His comments came in the wake of recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who turned on his former ally by accusing Zelensky of being a “dictator” and of having started Ukraine’s war with Russia, narratives long promoted by Moscow.
In response to the escalating online controversy, social media users, including stunned European officials and journalists, have taken to X to defend both Ukraine and Zelensky, often using the platform’s “Community Notes” feature to attach clarifications to posts suspected of containing misinformation. “Unfortunately, @CommunityNotes is increasingly being gamed by governments & legacy media. Working to fix this,” Musk wrote on X Thursday. He went on to criticize a Zelensky-controlled poll on his own approval ratings, stating, “It should be utterly obvious that a Zelensky-controlled poll about his OWN approval is not credible!!” He further added that, “In reality, he is despised by the people of Ukraine, which is why he has refused to hold an election.”
While Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Zelensky’s five-year term expired last year, Ukrainian law does not require elections during wartime. A recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows that Zelensky maintains a 57 percent approval rating and is “maintaining his legitimacy.”
Musk’s decision to roll out Community Notes came after he acquired the social media platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022 and overhauled many of its safety and moderation features. In a related development, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced last month that it would begin imitating Community Notes rather than relying on professional factcheckers.
Amid these discussions, some moderate Republicans have also criticized Trump’s shifting stance on Ukraine. One such critic, Congressman Don Bacon from Nebraska, wrote on X, “Putin started this war. Putin committed war crimes. Putin is the dictator who murdered his opponents. The EU nations have contributed more to Ukraine. Zelensky polls over 50%. Ukraine wants to be part of the West, Putin hates the West.” He further added, “I don’t accept George Orwell’s doublethink,” referencing the author of the dystopian novel 1984.
Through these varied voices and heated exchanges online, the debate over disinformation, fact-checking, and the legitimacy of political narratives continues to shape discussions on X, highlighting the increasingly central role of social media in contemporary geopolitics.
