Voters Wary of Political Misinformation, Unimpressed by Musk’s CEO Performance
By Dara Burke
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has elevated discussion about the limits and merits of absolute free speech on social media. His decision to reinstate Donald Trump’s Twitter account has particularly sparked controversy due to the events surrounding the former president’s permanent suspension. Some Twitter users have lauded Musk for his purported commitment to absolute freedom of speech. But others have criticized his mass firing of employees, especially content moderators and those who have criticized him. Musk also came under fire for suspending the accounts of several journalists, one of whom tracked the location of his private plane using public flight data.
While Twitter has frequently been making headlines, a December Data for Progress poll shows that over half (60 percent) of likely voters never use Twitter. On the other end of the spectrum, 12 percent of voters use the platform more than once a day. When considering Twitter use by partisanship, Democrats tend to be the most frequent users, with 16 percent claiming that they use it more than once a day, compared to 10 percent of Independents and 9 percent of Republicans.
Facebook is far more popular across the board, with 43 percent of voters claiming to use it more than once a day and another 15 percent claiming to use it once a day. Nearly half of both Republicans (45 percent) and Democrats (47 percent) use Facebook more than once a day.
Regardless of which platforms voters use and how often they do so, a majority of voters (64 percent) do not use social media for political news. Independents and Republicans are less likely to use social media for political news, with 67 percent and 66 percent, respectively, expressing that they do not do so. Democrats are somewhat more likely to consume political content on social media, but a majority of them (59 percent) do not.
Relatedly, a strong majority (73 percent) of voters do not believe social media is a reliable source of political information. When broken down by partisanship, there is little difference in opinion: 71 percent of Democrats claim they do not believe social media is a reliable news source, compared to 75 percent of both Republicans and Independents.
When voters were asked to quantify the amount of misinformation present in political content on social media, the average estimate comes in at 58.5 percent. Republicans have the highest average estimate at 60 percent, with Independents close behind at 59.6 percent. Democrats have a slightly lower average estimate at 56.1 percent.
When asked about content restrictions on social media platforms, a majority (61 percent) of voters believe that certain restrictions should be enforced to prevent harmful speech and the spread of misinformation. An overwhelming proportion (81 percent) of Democrats support the enforcement of certain content restrictions. Independents are somewhat less enthusiastic, with 58 percent expressing support for content restrictions. In contrast, over half (52 percent) of Republicans believe in absolute freedom of speech without content restrictions.
While most voters support some level of content restrictions, many also believe that content restrictions and their enforcement tend to be politically biased. A plurality (39 percent) of voters argue that content restrictions tend to favor liberal users, while 19 percent argue that they tend to favor conservative users. Twenty-two percent of voters argue that content restrictions tend to be politically unbiased. A majority (61 percent) of Republicans argue that content restrictions favor liberal users, while a plurality (34 percent) of Democrats argue that content restrictions tend to be unbiased. Independents are largely in agreement with Republicans, as 37 percent argue that content restrictions tend to favor liberal users.
Voters are generally unimpressed by Musk’s performance as Twitter CEO. A plurality (28 percent) of voters “strongly disapprove” of his performance, compared to 21 percent who “strongly approve.” Roughly equal percentages of voters “somewhat approve” and “somewhat disapprove,” at 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of Republicans approve, while nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of Democrats disapprove. Independents are less decisive, with 47 percent disapproval and 37 percent approval.
There is a consensus among voters that political content on social media should be approached apprehensively due to rampant misinformation. While most voters support the enforcement of content restrictions to combat the issue, most believe these restrictions come with political bias toward one side or the other. Musk claims to be turning Twitter into a haven of free speech and a so-called “marketplace of ideas.” Republicans may have been won over with the reinstatement of Trump’s account, but many voters are unconvinced by Musk’s new mission statement.
Dara Burke is an intern at Data for Progress.