X owner Elon Musk has announced a new change to his platform. Soon, only verified users will be permitted to participate in opinion polls, marking a pivotal step in ensuring the authenticity of user engagement. Musk said; “We’re changing polls to allow votes only by verified users. That’s critical to avoid polls getting bot-spammed on controversial issues.”
Agreed on all.
We’re changing polls to allow votes only by verified users. That’s critical to avoid polls getting bot-spammed on controversial issues.
The ADL has done a lot of good work in prior decades, but has been overzealous in recent years & hijacked by woke mind virus.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 2, 2023
Addressing the Bot Influence on Opinion Polls
The decision to restrict participation in polls to verified users comes in response to concerns raised by writer and entrepreneur Brian Krassenstein, who highlighted the pervasive presence of bots influencing poll outcomes.
Brian proposed a solution, stating, “Consider limiting poll participation to accounts with blue checkmarks. I’ve observed extensive bot activity in polls, which can be quite pronounced. Regarding the ADL, I understand that they may occasionally over-label, but it’s important to acknowledge their significant contributions over the past century.” Musk acknowledged this issue, emphasizing the need to prevent bot-spamming on contentious topics and to curb the distortion of public opinion by automated accounts.
The Pragmatic Solution for Trustworthiness
Elon Musk’s commitment to this initiative is not new; several months ago, he announced that, starting from April 15th, only verified accounts would be eligible to vote in polls. Additionally, “For You” recommendations, a feature presenting tweets from X accounts, will be limited to verified users. Musk justified these measures as the “only pragmatic” solution to counter the growing influence of AI bots on the platform. He emphasized the necessity of these actions to maintain a trustworthy and dependable platform, free from manipulation.
Also read: Elon Musk’s X Taps Public Data to Fuel AI Advancements
