Hyperactive Minority Alter the Stability of Community Notes
X's crowd-sourced fact-checking is controlled by a tiny, politically polarized minority of users.
Deep Dive
A study analyzing X's Community Notes from 2021-2025 reveals the system is unstable. A small, highly active minority of users, who are more politically polarized than the general contributor base, accounts for a disproportionate share of ratings. Counterfactual simulations show the visibility of notes often hinges on the behavior of just a few dozen users, meaning minor changes in their participation can lead to drastically different outcomes.
Why It Matters
This shows crowd-sourced moderation can concentrate power instead of democratizing it, affecting public trust in online information.