Twitter Discreetly Eliminates Its Policy on Covid-19 Misinformation
Twitter's COVID-19 Misinformation Policy: A Shift in Approach
In a significant move, Twitter, now rebranded as X under the leadership of Elon Musk, announced in November 2022 that it would no longer enforce its policy prohibiting COVID-19 misinformation. This policy change, unofficially noted on Twitter's website, marked a departure from the platform's previous stance.
The shift led to algorithm changes that promoted viral disinformation rather than suppressing it. Musk also indicated plans to form a content moderation council with diverse viewpoints, but this council was never established. Instead, Twitter moved towards a more decentralized moderation strategy, relying primarily on the Community Notes feature (formerly known as Birdwatch) for fact-checking and combating misinformation.
The removal of user report features for misleading content reflects this new approach. Twitter seems to be relying more on "everyday Twitter users" for content moderation, as Musk put it. However, this strategy has presented its own challenges, as managing harmful misinformation becomes more complex.
The policy change came after Musk laid off nearly half of Twitter's staff, significantly reducing the content moderation department. As a result, the platform has seen a resurgence of COVID-19 misinformation, with some renewed labeling efforts emerging by mid-2025.
The COVID-19 policy, first instated in April 2020, included a strike system: one strike for a first-time offense, 12-hour account lock for two and three strikes, 7-day lock for four strikes, and permanent suspension for five or more strikes. Under this policy, nearly 11,000 Twitter users were banned.
However, as of early August 2025, Twitter has resumed efforts to label tweets containing misleading COVID-19 vaccine information, indicating a renewed but perhaps more limited approach to tackling COVID-19 misinformation on the platform. This suggests a partial rollback or modification of the prior no-enforcement stance.
It's worth noting that in the early days of the pandemic, Musk himself posted false information about COVID-19, suggesting children were immune and family gatherings were risky. Twitter did not take action against his account.
In an attempt to improve the quality of the Community Notes, Twitter has updated the feature to include "scoring" for users to vote on the quality of notes. Additionally, an algorithm change was announced to identify posts and users who frequently contribute to "low quality" notes.
Twitter did not immediately respond to Gizmodo's request for comment on the policy change or the resurgence of COVID-19 misinformation on the platform. This evolution in Twitter's approach to content moderation has complicated matters, allowing more misinformation to spread virally while attempting to preserve an open speech environment.
- The policy change by Twitter, now under Elon Musk's leadership (X), abolished the policy prohibiting COVID-19 misinformation in November 2022, a move that shifted the platform's stance significantly.
- This change led to alterations in the platform's algorithms, promoting viral disinformation instead of suppressing it.
- Twitter's new approach relies more on 'everyday Twitter users' for content moderation, as evidenced by the removal of user report features for misleading content.
- Amid the policy change and staff reductions, the platform has witnessed a resurgence of COVID-19 misinformation, with some labeling efforts reemerging by mid-2025.
