News JVTech Elon Musk will grimace: according to a study, social network X is not at all trustworthy
Published on 09/24/2024 at 10:30 p.m.
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Formerly known as Twitter, X, the social network bought for $44 billion by Elon Musk in 2022, is struggling to retain the trust of Internet users. One study even makes it the least reliable company in the sector.
Did you trust Twitter, and do you trust X today? It is clear that since the acquisition of the social network by Elon Musk, who devoted an investment of 44 billion dollarsthe platform has undergone significant changes. And not for the better, according to a study carried out in the United States by eMarketer.
The research and polling firm pitted major technology and entertainment companies against the U.S. government to see which were the most trustworthy according to a panel of Americans. The question asked was simple. : “How much do you rate your trust in the following technology or media companies?” The result is interesting.
Amazon on top, US government flops
With a confidence level of 70%, the study reveals that Amazon is in first place. 20% of respondents are neutral and 9% have no trust — missing 1% due to rounding, eMarketer explains. The e-tailer is followed by Google, with a trust level of 65%, Netflix with 64%, Microsoft with 58% and Apple with 55%. The other companies do not have the average. Disney has a trust level of 49%, and then it’s a tumble: Meta has 36%, Tesla 29% and TikTok 29%.
But the two worst performers are tied in terms of trust: These are X and the US government, which do not exceed 28% confidence. X even manages to do worse in terms of distrust, with 44% compared to 43% for the American government.
A slap in the face from X
It is a pity that eMarketer does not give more details about the reasons for the Americans’ rejection. But we can guess that Elon Musk’s overall policy does not inspire confidence in the panel : the repeated waves of layoffs, the significant reduction in moderation, the transformation of certified accounts into simple paying accounts and the problems surrounding the disinformation circulating on the social network are all points that can influence people’s opinions.
Elon Musk himself regularly contributes to spreading false information about X. The billionaire, now an official supporter of Donald Trump, never misses an opportunity to amplify the spread of “fake news” about his opponent Kamala Harris, including when it comes to images generated using artificial intelligence.
Let us also recall that, very quickly after the acquisition of Twitter, Many advertisers have decided to no longer advertise on the platform. A situation in which X decided to counterattack recently by filing a complaint against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, the world’s largest association of brands and companies, which represents more than 90% of advertising spending worldwide. It’s not just individuals who no longer trust X…
