Elon Musk, the tech mogul and CEO of X (formerly known as Twitter), made a significant announcement on Sunday regarding changes to the platform’s polling feature. In an effort to combat bots and ensure the authenticity of poll results, Musk revealed that only verified, premium users will be allowed to participate in polls across various subjects, including political issues.
This move comes as a response to concerns about the potential influence of automated bots on poll outcomes. When writer-entrepreneur Brian Krassenstein suggested that X should limit poll participation to users with blue checkmarks (verified accounts), Musk confirmed that such a change is indeed on the way.
X’s polling feature currently enables users to post questions with multiple options, allowing the community to vote and express their opinions. However, the rise of automated bots has raised questions about the integrity of poll results.
“We’re changing polls to allow votes only by verified users. That’s critical to avoid polls getting bot-spammed on controversial issues,” Musk stated. He also mentioned that they had recently taken action to shut down numerous bots on the platform, highlighting the importance of maintaining the authenticity of polls.
This decision follows X’s earlier announcement that it would permit political advertising from political parties and candidates in the United States. In preparation for the 2024 presidential election, the platform intends to expand its elections and safety team to counter emerging threats and content manipulation.
X’s stance on political advertising aligns with its commitment to free expression, aiming to empower users to express their opinions and engage in open debates during elections while safeguarding freedom of expression.
In a related development, Elon Musk, known for his outspoken views, had recently advocated for a poll among X users to consider banning the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from the platform. Musk criticized the ADL’s recent activities, characterizing them as overzealous and influenced by what he referred to as the “woke mind virus.”
While the restriction for polls will be implemented to ensure poll integrity, X users can also look forward to a future feature that Musk announced last month. X is planning to introduce a calling feature that won’t require phone numbers. Instead, the platform will serve as a global address book, enabling users to make calls without the need for traditional phone numbers. This feature is expected to be available on various platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows PCs.
