Alleged former X employee admits platform was used for election interference

A shocking confession has come to light from an individual claiming to be a former employee of X. The anonymous whistleblower, who goes by the name “The Concerned Bird,” alleges that under Elon Musk’s leadership, the platform was manipulated to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

In a detailed letter posted on Substack, the whistleblower describes a dark shift at X after Musk took over. They claim they were part of a team explicitly tasked with altering the platform’s algorithms to favor pro-Trump and right-wing content. According to the letter, this manipulation wasn’t just limited to the U.S. but extended worldwide, affecting users across the globe.

This isn’t exactly the first time we’ve heard this. A study highlighted in November last year showed that X’s algorithm was tweaked to favor pro-Trump posts too. The former employee further revealed that they used AI systems named Grok and Eliza to generate thousands of fake accounts. These accounts were designed to look authentic and were used to spread political messages that supported specific agendas. The whistleblower notes, “Haven’t you noticed they all disappeared? Like magic,” suggesting these accounts were systematically removed post-election.

The confession also includes allegations of collusion with foreign governments. The whistleblower states that state-backed groups from Israel, Iran, and Russia were allowed to conduct their own influence operations on the platform without interference, as their goals aligned with those of X’s actions.

However, Reddit discussions highlight doubts about this, questioning how opposing geopolitical forces like Iran and Israel could both run unchecked propaganda campaigns without suppressing each other’s messages, suggesting that X’s policy might have been one of lax moderation rather than direct collusion.

One of the most disturbing claims is the creation and promotion of entirely fake news stories by dedicated teams within X. These stories were specifically engineered to go viral by artificially boosting their visibility and engagement, targeting particular demographic groups to sway their political views.

The whistleblower also accuses the moderation team of becoming a tool for enforcing a biased agenda, selectively applying rules to silence opposition while ignoring violations that served their narrative. They claim that Elon Musk was deeply involved in these decisions, even joking about being “Black Hat MAGA,” a remark some on Reddit find too on point to be fabricated, given Musk’s history of controversial statements.

The impact of these actions, according to the whistleblower, has been profound, with the manipulation now extending to elections in other countries like Germany. They express a grave concern over the integrity of information, stating, “People don’t know what’s real anymore, and that’s exactly what we wanted.”

Adding to the controversy, the alleged whistleblower also left behind code for what appears to be a pro-MAGA bot, providing a tangible piece of evidence to back their claims. Of course, all this has to be investigated thoroughly before we can jump to any conclusions.

Featured image credits: Elon Musk / X