Twitter Transformed to X with Systematic Content Moderation Rollback and Political Weaponization

Under Musk’s control, Twitter was rebranded to X and underwent systematic dismantling of content moderation systems, transforming the platform from a “global town square” into an oligarchic-controlled information warfare infrastructure. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that 98% of 200 flagged racist tweets remained on the platform after two weeks, highlighting a dramatic reduction in content moderation effectiveness.

Key impacts included:

• 80% reduction in trust and safety engineering staff
• Significant boost in engagement for far-right network accounts
• Weakened platform policies against hate speech and misinformation

Researchers characterized the platform’s transformation as creating an “oligarchical” information environment controlled by a few influential accounts.