Americans Trust TikTok More Than X: How Elon Musk Spiraled the Platform Into Controversy

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According to a new survey, Americans trust TikTok more than X. Find out how Elon Musk’s ownership of the platform spiraled into controversy. | SUCCESS

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According to a survey conducted by All About Cookies, a digital security research group, Americans trust TikTok more than Elon Musk’s X platform.

The findings, first published by Emarketer, found that companies such as Amazon, Google and Netflix ranked highest for trustworthiness among Americans. Chinese-backed TikTok was found to have garnered far less trust, with only 29% of respondents claiming they had faith in the app’s security and protections. However, Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) was ranked the lowest out of the social media platforms, and ranked on par with the level of trust Americans have in the U.S. government. Both X and the U.S. government ranked at a low trust level of 28%.

Since taking over Twitter and rebranding it to X, Musk has described his social networking platform as a global digital town square where freedom of speech is paramount. Musk has hailed his laissez-faire approach to speech on X as the guiding motivation behind his decision to acquire the platform, and has since promised to never bow to political or advertising pressures as CEO.

This recent survey illustrates a far bleaker landscape for X than initially imagined, with respondents trusting a Chinese-backed platform like TikTok more, even though the ByteDance app has itself faced serious allegations of foreign surveillance and improper user data handling. These concerns have reached the highest of political ranks, with talks over whether TikTok should be banned, and the issues remain ongoing for national security experts.

The recent findings from All About Cookies suggest that X’s diminishing trustworthiness is closely tied to Musk’s recent acquisition and communication choices as he continues to steer the social networking platform in a new direction. According to the Associated Press, Musk has used his platform to spread political misinformation, including the dissemination of unfounded allegations about U.S. electoral fraud and harmful claims about asylum seekers. Musk went as far as to claim the United Kingdom was on the brink of a civil war following its anti-immigration riots in August.

Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg told PBS, “Elon Musk is a master of the media and controls one of the world’s largest microphones. Musk understands the power of social media in shaping a political narrative.” Indeed this recurring theme of Musk utilizing this power within X to propagate his viewpoints and ambitions has contributed to a sentiment that X no longer appears as a platform of political neutrality, and now actively contributes and engages with the flow of information from the top down.

“The concern is that as he pushes his own political agenda, X could suppress viewpoints that oppose Musk’s own either intentionally or by nature of the platform becoming more partisan. That could turn off users who feel marginalized on the platform, and disillusion some who may have earlier bought into his free speech mantra,” Enberg added.

The problem for X, and indeed for the future of the brand, is that it will always be closely associated with Musk. There is a compelling and undeniable reason corporations and brands consciously avoid engaging in political discourse or controversial issues. Rather than risking alienating segments of their consumer base, the large majority of organizations focus on products and services that have a unifying appeal, emphasizing shared values and experiences over divisive rhetoric.

Contributing to this is the perspective that consumers want to feel safe engaging with a product. In 2022, Musk dissolved Twitter’s Trust and Safety Council, once responsible for weeding out extremist content and child sexual exploitation. Musk later vowed to replace the council with a reformed board, claiming the previous group of online safety volunteers were incapable and had “refused to take action on child exploitation for years.” There is no current data or findings that prove these claims made by the CEO.

Unfortunately, issues of child exploitation and abuse have persisted on the platform despite Musk’s promise to eliminate them early on. In January 2023, nearly a year into Musk’s tenure, concerns over the spread of this illegal activity continued. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin urged Attorney General Merrick Garland in a letter to review Twitter’s efforts to address child exploitation, stating that there had been no visible improvement. Such failures not only break trust with X users but also risk irreparably damaging the platform’s brand image, undermining its widespread credibility. Leaders at major organizations like X should consider consumer commitments essential, and failing to follow through on those promises is never a wise approach.

Despite this, X is investing in a resilient entertainment product that has attracted a growing number of journalists, content creators and prominent figures. Musk has repeatedly argued that traditional legacy media is in decline, positioning X as the most efficient and sustainable outlet for real-time news and analysis, where the rise of citizen journalism can fully flourish. The launch of Spaces, long-form video content, and an updated monetization scheme have all proven to be valuable investments in the platform, aimed at fostering the content creation revolution.

Musk’s efforts to enhance X’s interface and technological capabilities have not always progressed without challenges, however. In the first four months of Musk’s takeover, X experienced numerous glitches and outages, with several instances reported where users across the globe could not interact with the app for hours at a time.

Musk faced further tech difficulties when one of the highlights of his tenure at X—hosting former President Trump for a live, three-hour audio interview—turned out rather poorly executed. The conversation between Musk and Trump was delayed by 40 minutes due to an unexpected tech failure that left millions unable to access the Space. While Musk suggested this was entirely due to an external hacking breach, those claims have gone unverified. An X staffer reportedly told The Verge there was a 99% chance no such DDOS attack had occurred.

For some, Musk’s takeover of X will always be viewed as a resounding victory; for others, it represents a catastrophe that continues to unfold. Regardless, it is undeniable that the billionaire’s tenure has ignited immense controversy and outrage, particularly regarding his use of the platform for personal and political ambitions.

The key takeaway from X’s evolution lies in its public perception. Since the takeover, the platform has undoubtedly attracted more attention, albeit not always for the right reasons. Yet, as the saying goes, bad publicity is still publicity, and this seems to be the guiding principle Musk believes will navigate X into a new and exciting future. One thing is certain: X remains one of the most prominent and valuable digital arenas for debate in the world, with an incredible capacity to continue innovating.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Pablo Urdiales Antelo

Pablo Urdiales Antelo is a news writer with a sharp focus on politics and business. Drawing from his experience in breaking news and pop culture commentary, he offers a comprehensive and international perspective on current affairs, helping audiences decode the complexities of our modern world.

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