Elon Musk has often talked about the Community Notes feature on X, saying that it ensures that users get the correct information from the platform. On more than one occasion, Musk has praised the feature, boasting that it ensures that the information that reaches the user is factually correct. And now, the Community Notes feature is available in India so that users can fact-check information being circulated on the platform before believing it to be true. This comes as India is on the brink of Lok Sabha elections, starting on April 19.
Announcing the Community Notes feature, X's post on the social media platform read, "Welcome new contributors in India. Our first contributors are joining today, and we’ll be expanding over time. As always, we’ll monitor quality to ensure that notes are found helpful by people from different points of view. Community Notes now has contributors in 69 countries around the world, and we’re adding more regularly."
Elon Musk also shared the news on X, writing, "Community Notes now active on India."
In order to sign up for the feature, simply click on the link provided by Community Notes official handle. You will then be asked to agree to certain conditions after which, you will be a contributing member of the feature.
In December 2022, X introduced the feature allowing users to view Community Notes associated with posts worldwide, but initially limited the ability to post such notes to users in select countries. Over time, the platform expanded the availability of Community Notes to users in various countries, enhancing the provision of localised context. As mentioned in the tweet, with its latest expansion, the program now includes contributors from 69 countries.
Last year, the platform also extended Community Notes, previously known as Birdwatch, to include images and videos.
India had been one of the last major markets where Community Notes had not been fully implemented. With national elections approaching, many platforms are stepping up efforts to combat potential misinformation related to the elections. However, the platform has not made any specific announcements regarding its initiatives for the Indian elections.
Although Community Notes have proven useful in fact-checking posts on the platform, they have occasionally struggled to curb the spread of misinformation, despite contributors providing context to stories. Last year, the platform reversed its ban on political advertisements, which had been implemented by the previous management.
X has encountered challenges in the Indian market, notably due to legal disputes with the government over orders to block certain posts. Earlier this year, X complied with orders from authorities to withhold certain accounts and posts related to farmers' protests in India, citing pending legal challenges against the blocking orders in court.
In a conversation with BBC last year, Musk commented on India's stringent social media regulations, stating that the platform must adhere to the laws of the country.
