Twitter Vs X Political Bias: Was Twitter Unfair Towards The Conservatives?

The users on the platform Twitter have witnessed major changes since the platform rebranded into X.   

The Pew Research Center survey suggests that almost 37% of X users have given positive feedback about their recent experience on X.   

Despite that, the changes also raise several questions about the political leaning of the platform since it was acquired by Elon Musk. Hence, users from all over the world remain keen to learn about Twitter vs X political bias.  

Also, it has been a while since Elon Musk purchased the platform.  

After all this time, Elon Musk joins Nikhil Kamath’s Podcast and shares his opinions on Twitter vs. X’s political bias, and he criticizes Twitter’s previous functioning.  This has resurfaced the debate over Twitter vs X political bias (then vs now) and the platforms’ political slants.   

The interview of Elon Musk by Nikhil Kamath on YouTube comes as a bummer, as literally no one expected Nikhil Kamath to interview Musk.  

The podcast caters to diverse interests, including politics, entrepreneurship, AI, and tech. Here, we will focus mainly on the comments of Musk on the previous left-leaning of Twitter.   

Did Elon Musk Benefit From Purchasing Twitter? 

Nikhil Kamath states that he used to be a very small shareholder of Twitter, back when Twitter was Twitter. Thus, he benefited from it when Elon Musk purchased Twitter.   

The host of the show, Nikhil Kamath, asked Elon Musk whether it was a happy decision for him. Was Musk glad about the platform’s purchase, or not?  

In response, Elon Musk replied that he thinks Twitter has gone in directions that have had more negative effects on the world.   

Musk considered that Twitter was, by and large, amplifying the tweets and the opinions of the left. Moreover, he believes this happened mainly because Twitter is based in San Francisco.   

Musk believes that it is as far left as people can get in San Francisco. Thus, the location of the headquarters strongly influenced Twitter’s functioning.  

Elon believes that most of the people in the center as well as the right were badly censored on Twitter. Further, he adds that people on the far left believe that those in the center are also on the right.  

Elon Musk joins Nikhil Kamath’s podcast and states that X now adheres to the specific rules of different countries and does not aim to impose standards beyond those of the nation.  

Is X Now More Balanced And Centrist? Twitter Vs X Political Bias  

Elon Musk says he has now restored X’s neutrality. The X system does not really de-amplify or ban the left-leaning voices on the platform. However, X now maintains a proper neutral stance for most things to ensure that they get the best results with the help of the platform.  

Elon further describes the platform as a “global Times Square” where the “global conscience” will gather.   

But Musk confirms that several left-leaning people have just decided to go somewhere else, instead of using the X Systems.  

Was Twitter Left-Leaning As Claimed By Elon Musk? What Does The Pew Research Say About It?  

We have compared the information published on the Pew Research Center and the comments made by Elon Musk on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast.  

We will try to understand the levels of satisfaction of both Democrats and Republicans.  

Democrat On X Vs The Republicans On X Overall Experience   

The data published by Pew suggests that most people in both parties have stated that their experience on X has been either positive or neutral.   

However, the Pew Research Center data states that around 51% of the Republican users suggest their time on X to be really positive. On the other hand, about 20% of the Democratic users have described their time on the platform as positive.  

Furthermore, among those who have reported their experience to be negative, around 40% of them are Democrats. Only 11% of the total negative reporting people are actually Republicans.   

However, 41% of the total number of users with neutral opinions are Democratic, while 38% of the neutral users remain Republican.   

Thus, this report shows that most Republicans believe the platform will deliver better results.   

What Are The Opinions Of The Users About X Amplifying Conservative Views?  

55% of Democratic users think that the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, supports conservative views over liberal ones.  

On the other hand, only 56% of the total number of Republicans think that X supports both conservative and Republican opinions equally.   

Most X users on the platform believe that X promotes conservative content much more than liberal content.  

Moreover, 31% of X users think the platform amplifies conservative views over liberal ones.   

Only 5% of the total number of users suggest that X supports liberal views more in comparison with conservative views.  

However, 38% of the total number of users think that X promotes all types of opinions equally. But 26% of the total number of users are not sure about the platform.  

 Moreover, the approval rate among Republicans of X has significantly increased compared to before Elon Musk acquired Twitter.  

Did Twitter Ban People With Conservative Opinions? Case Study  

Elon Musk stated that Twitter had become a negative space where conservative views used to be taken down.   

In this section, we will examine whether Twitter is used to de-amplify conservative opinions. We will go through a few case studies to understand if Twitter used to ban conservative views, or were these views often indulged in hate mongering and creating problems for the marginalized sections of society?  

1. Twitter Ban On Donald Trump   

When it comes to Twitter Bans, Donald Trump is one of the biggest examples. Moreover, the platform had banned the Twitter account of the President right after the violence had erupted during the transfer of power, after Trump had lost during his previous tenure.  

The company had banned Donald Trump after they accused him of disseminating misinformation and inciting violence.  

Moreover, several tweets by Donald Trump at the time directly provoked people to march on the capital. Many of the conservative Trump supporters marched and attacked the Capitol building.  

This had caused widespread criticism of Donald Trump worldwide, as the situation literally went out of hand.  

Prior to the massive mob attack, Trump was also suspended from Twitter for 12 days for the following tweet.  

The Tweet mentioned above led to Trump being suspended for 12 Days.  

However, the President changed his tone and thus began communicating in a much more balanced way. Therefore, it was one of the most sweeping punishments any major company had ever imposed on President Donald Trump.  

2. Kangna Ranaut’s Twitter Account Ban   

Elon Musk joins Nikhil Kamath’s Podcast, and he compares Twitter vs X’s political bias used to ban the opinions of those who were conservatives.   

The famous podcaster Nikhil Kamath is from India. Thus, we at Big Jar have decided to provide an example from India.  

Thus, this was one of the major Twitter bans in India that caught the attention of most media organizations.  

Twitter had banned Ranaut on the platform after she tweeted a series of posts amid the  West Bengal election results, which aimed at fomenting hate.  

Ranaut serves as one of the most loyal supporters of Narendra Modi, who has been diligently supporting the ultra-right-wing ruling party in India.  

However, the BJP suffered a severe loss in the 2021 West Bengal State Legislative Assembly elections.   

But Kangna Ranaut could not take the loss of the party that she supported. Thus, she unleashed a series of provocative, violent anti minority tweets on Twitter. Hence, the platform has permanently suspended her Twitter account.  

In the above-mentioned Tweet of Kangna Ranaut, she has been spreading misleading information to provoke people in West Bengal after the Election results.  

This Tweet by Ranaut uses derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister of West Bengal.   

What Is The Big Jar’s Take On Elon Musk’s Comment About Twitter And Its Policies?  

The debate over Twitter vs. X political bias remains highly controversial. At the same time, Musk appears on the Nikhil Kamath podcast and suggests that Twitter was trying to ban people on the Right or center.   

The truth remains that several times, the banned accounts used to monger hate. People should understand that conservative views often promote parochial content that usually goes against the interests of marginalized sections of society.  

Thus, for the greater good of everyone, Twitter banned accounts that often-promoted content that went against the interests of groups such as minorities, women, LGBTQ+, and others.  

Thus, conservative-minded people like Musk often felt they were being de-amplified.  

Twitter’s ban on Donald Trump turned public opinion against the company’s policies. Moreover, the conservatives in the USA wanted to amplify their views while controlling the social media accounts.  

Hence, Musk acquired Twitter to better control the flow of information as he was a close political ally of Donald Trump.  

The data provided by Pew Research suggests that a considerable chunk of X users with a liberal mindset actually feel that X now promotes conservative views over liberal views.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the Twitter vs X political bias.