Twitter, born in 2009, without being a bastion of the left, has long been the social network where major societal trends emerged, particularly towards minorities, which gave it a rather progressive image.
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With its short 140-character messages, Twitter was not as popular as Facebook with the general public, but it was the preferred social network for journalists and communicators.
It is partly thanks to this site, which amplified messages using its hashtags, that the #MeToo or #BlackLivesMatter movements have become social phenomena.
In 2022, Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, bought Twitter, which he renamed X. The social network X has since been heavily criticized for its “fake news” campaigns, which Elon Musk himself don’t hesitate to amplify.
The social network X has been used by its owner to serve his interests and opinions. Indeed, as an owner, Elon Musk benefits from a privileged position, his publications benefiting from favorable treatment in the X algorithm, which means that his messages, often composed of false news intended to defend his interests, are seen by all users who connect to it.
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and its use of it to promote himself allowed him to significantly increase his political influence, notably by promoting President Donald Trump during the campaign for the 2024 US presidential elections.
Donald Trump also appointed, on November 12, Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Effectiveness, co-directed with Vivek Ramaswamy, with a status similar to that of a minister.
What’s more, allegedly in the name of free speech, Elon Musk has changed content moderation policies and reinstated accounts previously banned by the former administration, most famously Donald Trump.
These modifications have caused violent content and false information to multiply on X.
The media, once a vehicle for contesting conservative powers and associated with progressive movements such as the 2009 post-election uprising in Iran, the Arab Spring between 2010 and 2012, Euromaidan in 2013, as well as the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter social struggles, has experienced a political realignment. It is now seen as an amplifier of disinformation and far-right ideas.
This is the observation made by Jen Schradie in her essay The illusion of digital democracy: is the internet right-wing? (Quanto, 2022).
The over-representation of far-right ideas on social networks can be explained in part by the social divide exacerbated on the web, the financial resources committed by far-right parties as well as the very nature of the messages.
Another factor is that far-right groups, often with a decision-making hierarchy, are more effective online than groups with horizontal structures and no hierarchy, which is often the case for left-wing groups.
Participatory democracy is less obvious than we think on the Internet since it can be hijacked by well-organized groups.
What’s more, the far right has always been adept at using the Internet and social media, often claiming to be marginalized by traditional media to spread its messages.
According to Jen Schradie, this is partly explained by the often significant financial resources available to the far right to invest in digital technology as well as by its organization to effectively use these tools.
Another important point concerns ideology. By positioning themselves as the champions of “freedom”, when, for example, Elon Musk calls himself the champion of free speech, the simple and impactful message contrasts with that of the left, focused on more complex concepts like ‘”equity”.
Social networks, notably Twitter which has become X, have enabled both the best and the worst for democracy. However, they appear to give a huge advantage to the far right and pose enormous challenges, including the spread of fake news and the polarization of society. n
