New Delhi:

Seventy years ago, the young Rupert Murdoch inherited a newspaper in Australia. The family-owned publication would grow over the decades into the most influential media empire in the world, guiding political direction in many countries. However, in the 21st century, the war of perceptions, particularly in the West, is largely taking place on social networks. Today, Murdoch is retired at 93, and a new figure has emerged as the master of perception: Elon Musk.

Musk’s control of X (formerly Twitter) gives him a platform with unprecedented influence, allowing him to broadcast messages and shape opinions to an audience numbering in the hundreds of millions. As Musk aligns his views with Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement, he is amplifying far-right rhetoric much like Murdoch once did. But Musk’s methods and ambitions differ from those of his predecessor. His platform,

To understand Musk’s influence, it is essential to first examine Murdoch’s legacy. Fox News, his crowning achievement, became a mouthpiece for the Republican Party and a center of conservative ideology in the United States. In recent years, Murdoch’s influence over Republicans has waned. Attempts to make Trump politically insignificant have failed, and as the results of the 2024 US presidential election show, Trump’s grip on the party has never been stronger. With Murdoch’s control waning, another personality stepped in.

As Trump cruised to victory 2024 presidential electionMusk has emerged as a powerful and vocal ally. Musk’s acquisition of X allowed him to shape the information ecosystem in a way that fits his ideology. Musk’s controversial changes to moderation policy have weakened X’s ability to regulate harmful content, amplifying inflammatory rhetoric and spreading misinformation.

Engaging with far-right accounts, Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” inadvertently provided these figures with a “personal algorithm booster,” amplifying their reach and influence on the platform.

For Musk, X is more than a platform, it’s a tool to challenge the establishment and rally support for conservative ideals.

Musk’s involvement in American politics has raised alarms with election officials in critical battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona – three states where Trump is expected to win. The spread of misinformation has increased as X, under Musk’s leadership, has become a key vector of false narratives that undermine public trust in the electoral process. Officials, overwhelmed by the volume of lies, are struggling to keep up. An Arizona election official even personally contacted Musk, imploring him to curb the spread of election lies.

In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was forced to fact-check X directly after he shared inaccurate claims about voter registration. While her rebuttal garnered 33 million views, Musk responded by accusing her of lying.

In Pennsylvania, a wave of misinformation emanating from X falsely suggested that incomplete registration forms were evidence of voter fraud. This lie was spread by widely followed far-right accounts, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the electoral process. According to Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization, election officials have struggled to debunk these claims, which continue to circulate unchallenged on X.

The intense pro-Trump campaign on X, which Musk personally led, has paid off as Trump is poised for a landslide victory.

Musk’s empire spans Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and X, all of which benefit from government contracts, subsidies and favorable policies. If Trump returns to the White House, Musk’s companies would stand to gain even more.

With X and its millions of users, a Trump victory means at least five more years of unchecked misinformation.