A total of about 5.3 million X accounts were suspended in the first half of 2024 for violating its rules, the social media platform said in its latest Global Transparency Report.
Formerly known as Twitter, X’s Global Transparency Report outlines enforcement actions taken to maintain a safer environment on the social media platform. According to its latest report, the enforcement data covers a wide range of violations, including harassment, hateful conduct, child safety, platform manipulation, and violent content.
According to the report, between January and June 2024, X processed 224.1 million user reports across several categories. Of these, 81.7 million were for abuse and harassment, making it the largest category, accounting for 36.47% of all reports.Â
In response, X suspended 1.1 million accounts for abusive behaviour and harassment. Meanwhile, hateful conduct, another major area of concern, saw 66.9 million reports, leading to 2,361 account suspensions and the removal or labelling of 4.95 million posts.
Child safety remains a critical focus for X. The platform’s report shows that 2.78 million accounts were suspended for sharing or engaging with content related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
In addition, 14,571 posts were removed or labelled in connection with child safety violations. X emphasized its zero-tolerance policy towards any form of child exploitation, stressing its partnerships with organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to handle such cases.
Platform manipulation and spam constituted another area where X took drastic action. The company took an overwhelming 463.9 million actions on suspended accounts for engaging in deceptive activities such as using bots or creating fake accounts to manipulate conversations. X’s report indicated that its defenses against platform manipulation are primarily automated, allowing it to remove accounts at scale. Furthermore, 187.6 million actions were taken on posts with user informed labels for spam-related activities.
Violent content also posed a significant challenge for the platform, with 104,921 X accounts suspended for engaging with or promoting violent activities. Additionally, about 2.24 million posts were removed or labelled for violating the platform’s rules on violent content, which include prohibitions on terrorist organizations and violent extremism.
The report also highlights how X handled private content violations, with 9.9 million reports filed by users in this category. The company responded by suspending 1,719 accounts and removing or labelling 34,497 posts that breached privacy rules.
In terms of government involvement, X disclosed that it received 18,737 requests for user account information from various governments. Of these, 52.82% of the requests were granted. The United States accounted for the majority of these requests, followed by Japan and the European Union. The company also handled 72,703 removal requests from governments globally, with a compliance rate of 70.82%.
X’s approach to content moderation combines both machine learning and human oversight, ensuring that reports are handled promptly and that harmful content is either removed or its reach is limited. The platform employs its “Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach” philosophy, meaning that while users may express their views, X may limit the visibility of posts that violate its policies.
In addition to its self-proclaimed proactive content moderation efforts, X also allows users to appeal enforcement decisions if they believe their content was wrongly flagged. This process is part of the platform’s broader strategy to maintain a balanced approach to freedom of expression while ensuring the safety of its users.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
