Community Notes

Extracted Attributes

• Goal

  Counter propaganda and misinformation

• Function

  Community-driven content moderation, adding context/fact-checks to posts, images, or videos

• Platform

  X (formerly Twitter)

• Mechanism

  Bridging-based algorithm, relies on agreement from users across the political spectrum

• Criticisms

  Potential to spread disinformation, vulnerability to manipulation, inconsistent application, lack of critical reflection on potential harm

• Key Supporter

  Elon Musk

• Previous Name

  Birdwatch

• Initial Availability

  U.S. users only

• Daily Views (reported)

  Tens of millions

• Adoption by other platforms

  Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads)

• Contributors (as of November 2023)

  Approximately 133,000

• COVID-19 Vaccine Notes Accuracy (May 2024 study)

  97%

Timeline

• Program, then known as Birdwatch, launched on Twitter. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2021-01-01

• Notes gained popularity due to misinformation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2022-03-01

• Notes gained popularity due to COVID-19 misinformation. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2022-10-01

• Birdwatch was rebranded to Community Notes and expanded. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2022-11-01

• Community Notes became widespread on X. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-01-01

• Reached approximately 133,000 contributors. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2023-11-01

• A study found COVID-19 vaccine notes to be 97% accurate. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2024-05-01

Community Notes

Community Notes, formerly known as Birdwatch, is a feature on X (formerly Twitter) where contributors can add context such as fact-checks under a post, image or video. It is a community-driven content moderation program, intended to provide helpful and informative context, based on a crowd-sourced system. Notes are applied to potentially misleading content by a bridging-based algorithm not based on majority rule, but instead agreement from users on different sides of the political spectrum. The program launched on Twitter in 2021 and became widespread on X in 2023. Initially shown to U.S. users only, notes were popularized in March 2022 over misinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine followed by COVID-19 misinformation in October. Birdwatch was then rebranded to Community Notes and expanded in November 2022. As of November 2023, it had approximately 133,000 contributors; notes reportedly receive tens of millions of views per day, with its goal being to counter propaganda and misinformation. According to investigation and studies, the vast majority of users do not see notes correcting content. In May 2024, a study of COVID-19 vaccine notes were deemed accurate 97% of the time. Critics have also highlighted how it has spread disinformation, is vulnerable to manipulation, and has been inconsistent in its application of notes, as well as its efforts in combating of misinformation. Some suggest that structurally the system "lacks critical reflection on the potential for content to harm". Elon Musk, the owner of X, considers the program as a game changer and having considerable potential. However, after a post by Musk received a Community Note, he claimed the program had been manipulated by state actors.

Web Search Results

• Community Notes - Wikipedia

  Community Notes, formerly known as Birdwatch, is a feature on X (formerly Twitter) where contributors can add context "Context (linguistics)") such as fact-checks under a post, image or video. It is a community-driven content moderation program, intended to provide helpful and informative context, based on a crowd-sourced system. Notes are applied to potentially misleading content by a bridging-based algorithm not based on majority rule, but instead agreement from users on different sides of [...] The Community Notes algorithm publishes notes based on agreement from contributors who have a history of disagreeing.( Rather than based on majority rule,( the program's algorithm prioritizes notes that receive ratings from a "diverse range of perspectives".( For a note to be published, a contributor must first propose a note under a tweet.( The program assigns different values to contributors' ratings, categorising users with similar rating histories as a form of "opinion classification", [...] The program launched on Twitter in 2021 and became widespread on X in 2023. Initially shown to U.S. users only, notes were popularized in March 2022 over misinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine followed by COVID-19 misinformation in October. Birdwatch was then rebranded to Community Notes and expanded in November 2022. As of November 2023, it had approximately 133,000 contributors; notes reportedly receive tens of millions of views per day, with its goal being to counter propaganda

• Community Notes: A New Way to Add Context to Posts

  Community Note contributors can write and submit a note on posts that they think are potentially misleading or confusing. A community note may include background information, a tip or an insight people might find useful. For a note to be published on a post, people who have previously disagreed on note ratings in the past will have to agree that a note is helpful. Notes will not be added to content when there is no agreement on the helpfulness of a note or when people agree a note is not [...] As we announced in March 2025, Meta has rolled out a Community Notes feature that lets people add more context to Facebook, Instagram and Threads posts that are potentially misleading or confusing. Meta has always been clear that we don’t think we should be the arbiters of truth, and our approach has long been to surface information that people find helpful in deciding what to read, trust or share. Beginning in the United States, instead of relying on third-party fact-checking organizations, we [...] Community Notes identifies when there is agreement that a note is helpful among contributors that normally disagree with each other. This system only takes into account each contributor’s rating history. We think this approach helps ensure that notes reflect a range of perspectives and reduces the risk of bias. Community Notes contributors decide what notes get written and how they are rated — not Meta. Image 16Impact on posts

• Introducing Community Notes - Adding Context to Posts - Meta Store

  ## Add more context to posts that are confusing or potentially misleading Everyone has seen a post that could use more context, or doesn’t seem quite right. That's why we're introducing Community Notes, a new way for people on Facebook, Instagram and Threads to add more context to posts that are confusing or potentially misleading. By joining the community of contributors, you can play an active role in helping to keep people more informed. [...] Building on this basic idea, Community Notes uses technology that detects if contributors rate differently over time. If enough contributors who have a history of rating differently agree that a community note is helpful, there’s a better chance it will get published, because more people on Facebook, Instagram and Threads will probably find it helpful, too. ## The community writes and decides, not Meta or fact-checkers [...] # Introducing Community Notes You can help the community decide which posts might be misleading or missing context, and what context should be published on those posts. A teenager sharing her phone with her dad ## Be one of the first to write and rate community notes Sign up now and you’ll get a notification once you’re able to contribute to Community Notes and help keep people better informed. Image of facebook Image of facebook Image of facebook

• Introducing Community Notes - Adding Context to Posts - Meta Store

  ## Add more context to posts that are confusing or potentially misleading Everyone has seen a post that could use more context, or doesn’t seem quite right. That's why we're introducing Community Notes, a new way for people on Facebook, Instagram and Threads to add more context to posts that are confusing or potentially misleading. By joining the community of contributors, you can play an active role in helping to keep people more informed. [...] Building on this basic idea, Community Notes uses technology that detects if contributors rate differently over time. If enough contributors who have a history of rating differently agree that a community note is helpful, there’s a better chance it will get published, because more people on Facebook, Instagram and Threads will probably find it helpful, too. ## The community writes and decides, not Meta or fact-checkers [...] # Introducing Community Notes You can help the community decide which posts might be misleading or missing context, and what context should be published on those posts. A teenager sharing her phone with her dad ## Be one of the first to write and rate community notes Sign up now and you’ll get a notification once you’re able to contribute to Community Notes and help keep people better informed. Image of facebook Image of facebook Image of facebook

• About Community Notes on X | X Help

  Community Notes aim to create a better informed world by empowering people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts.

• Instance Of

  Q114955954