Note It Down: X Activates 'Community Notes' Feature In India

X, formerly Twitter, has extended the functionality of one of its most discussed features in India. Elon Musk, the owner of the platform himself took to the platform, to announce the arrival of 'Community Notes'.

'Community notes', or 'Birdwatch', before its christening, along with X and its former branding itself is collective information dissemination feature, that was first launched in 2021, during the pandemic year, when the platform was inundated with misinformation.

In simpler terms, through this contributors on the platform can add information, that is essential in establishing context, on this vastly and rapidly evolving information highway. These information tools could be text, images and video, adding context, and in some cases, fact-checking and thereby debunking claims made in posts on the platform.

This feature has allowed busting many beguiling statements, that are often propagated by fringe and mainstream elements on the platform. The feature has often come to aid, when certain accounts try to spin and spread conspiracy theories, surrounding socio-political issues.

This feature has garnered laurels and backlash at the same time. In some cases, it has even fact-checked Elon Musk's own posts, thereby exhibiting the rectitude of the feature.

These notes, that usually appear right below the post are being activated in India at a crucial juncture, as the nation is looking at an all-important election, that could have major consequences, in the fabric of the nation. Misinformation, disinformation and malinformation are in abundance on the internet, especially on X.

Therefore, this feature could perhaps assist the larger civic society to mitigate spread of misinformation, that is peddled and indubitably will be peddled during the next two months, until the Lok Sabha election results are declared in 4 June.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, with the first phase on 19 April, with the next six phases happening on 26 April, 7 May,  13 May, 20 May, 25 May, with the final phase on 1 June, before the 4 June results.