X Releases First Transparency Report Since Elon Musk's Takeover, 5.3 Million Accounts Removed In 2 Years

The report also provided data on government requests for information and content removal. In the first half of 2024, X received 18,737 information requests, complying with about 53 per cent of them.

Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X) back in 2022, and since then X hadn't released any transparency reports until now. The microblogging platform has now finally released a transparency report after two years. According to the Global Transparency Report, between January and June 2024, X received over 224 million user reports, and out of that, the largest chunk of reports, i.e., 82 million, were related to abuse and harassment. 

The Global Transparency Report sheds light on user reports on content violations on the platform, actions taken by the company, and government requests for content removals and information in the first six months of 2024. 

An X spokesperson told The Hill, “As an entirely new company, we took time to rethink how best to transparently share data related to the enforcement of the policies that keep our community safe.” 

X Global Transparency Report Findings

According to the report, there were approximately 67 million user reports related to hateful behavior and another 40 million concerning violent conduct. As a result, the platform suspended around 5.3 million accounts and either removed or labeled 10.7 million posts. The report highlighted that posts violating X’s rules made up only 0.01 percent of the total content.

The report also provided data on government requests for information and content removal. In the first half of the year, X received 18,737 information requests, complying with about 53 percent of them. The European Union made the most requests, totaling 7,872, with a 56 percent disclosure rate. The US submitted 3,329 requests, and X disclosed information in 76 percent of those cases. Additionally, X received 72,703 government requests to remove content, acting on about 71 percent of them.

After Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022, he implemented several significant changes. These included staff layoffs, easing content moderation rules, rebranding Twitter as X, and reinstating previously banned accounts. He also introduced a paid verification system, allowing users to purchase the coveted blue checkmark for a monthly fee.