X suspends 800m accounts in one year amid ‘massive’ scale of manipulation attempts

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Dan Milmo Global technology editorMarch 9, 2026 at 07:34 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

X (formerly Twitter) reported suspending 800 million accounts in 2024 due to platform manipulation and spam, revealing the "massive" scale of such attempts. The company told UK MPs that state-backed actors, particularly Russia, Iran, and China, continually try to hijack the platform's agenda. Russia specifically aimed to undermine the 2024 US presidential election by spreading divisive narratives. X defines manipulative accounts as those engaging in misleading or disruptive activity and spam as unsolicited, repeated actions. Since Elon Musk's acquisition in 2022, X has faced criticism regarding its content moderation policies, including the spread of misinformation.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tesla 30% 2024 US presidential election 40% United Kingdom 40% X Corp 50% Wifredo Fernández ×260% Iran 60% China 60% Russia ×270% Elon Musk ×370% X (Twitter) ×990%

Keywords

x 100% platform manipulation 90% account suspension 80% spam accounts 70% foreign interference 70% content moderation 60% elon musk 60% russia 60% social media 50% us presidential election 50%