This Cybersecurity Startup Is Quietly Moderating X’s Community Notes to Fight Crypto Scams
Social media platforms are struggling in the face of rising misinformation and scams, particularly involving cryptocurrency. In its bid to contain misinformation so that it can remain the best social media network, X (formerly Twitter) launched Community Notes as a crowdsourcing moderation tool that lets users fact-check tweets. Unbeknownst to the public, an unexpected player has emerged: A cybersecurity startup is rejecting more posts on X than any individual user maxim, leveraging automation to detect and systematically flag crypto scams.
What Is X’s Community Notes?
Community Notes, as it is called, dates back to 2021 with the intent to democratize content moderation. The contributors append context or corrections to any tweet they find misleading. These notes are rated by the community to decide on visibility. This allows for transparency and crowd-sourced fact-checking, but also means that its success depends heavily on user participation.
The Role of the Cybersecurity Startup
Enter Web3 Antivirus, a Startup specializing in Web3 security. The company became the top contributor in Community Notes (then called Birdwatch) by deploying automated tools to scan tweets for cryptocurrency scams and fraudulent links. According to founder Alex Dulub, the goal is to “protect users from scams where X’s support teams often respond slowly.”
By way of ML and automation, the cybersecurity startup manages X better and on a larger scale than what is normally possible through manual moderation efforts. Their system identifies potentially harmful tweets and attaches notes to them as a warning for unsuspecting users who might fall victim to these scams.
Why Automation Matters in Moderation
Manual moderation has a hard time matching the massive volume and fast-paced nature of quick scam content. Internally in X, it is being increasingly hard to mount a swift response to crypto fraud with budget cuts and a reduction of capacity for internal moderation teams.
Given the speed-wise nature of automated systems in detecting and responding, automation is needed, especially with repetitive and obvious scams. Automated moderation by Web3 Antivirus complements the efforts by X to fill an essential gap in platform safety by providing instant detection and crowd-sourced warnings.
Impact on User Safety and Platform Trust
The intervention of this startup provides an extra barrier of protection to X users and raises awareness about cryptocurrency scams. However, it raises concerns regarding its transparency and governance: Are automated notes reviewed? What set of rules guarantee they are fair and accurate?
In any event, X Community Notes in collaboration with the cybersecurity startup moderates X announces a new paradigm for cooperative moderation, one that entertains a blend of human judgments and cutting-edge technology to cultivate safer online spaces.
Broader Implications for Social Media Moderation
The prominence of Web3 Antivirus is an indicator that third-party tech companies and startups are increasingly being called in to work with the platform-modification authorities. This development has blurred traditional lines of responsibility and caused a rethink of content moderators on social platforms.
When social platforms face the issue of scale and complexity, the combined approach of automated moderation and community actions is likely to become the accepted view. However, that demands a level playing field in accountability and transparency for user trust to be safely upheld.
Blending Automation With Community-Driven Fact-Checking
At a time when crypto scams and misinformation run amok in the digital landscape, the way a cybersecurity startup moderates content on X provides a glimpse into a possible future for content moderation. And the hybrid approach—automation with community fact-checking—only makes the platform safer and more protective of the users.
With these innovations at play, social media platforms will continue to protect users from deceit, reminding us that the fight for trustworthy information will need to be forged along new lines of collaboration.
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