AN MSP has criticised X/Twitter for platforming a far-right group beneath a post by Lesley Riddoch on the site.
Following the Believe in Scotland/Yes for EU march and rally in Edinburgh yesterday, Riddoch took to the site to congratulate all who had attended.
“What a beautiful sight,” she said.
“Ten thousands Yessers in Edinburgh. Great unscripted speech by Humza & so well organised by @believeinscot & @YesforEU”.
Organisers of the rally said it was believed around 25,000 people attended the event throughout the day.
However, far-right group A Force for Good – whose founder Alistair McConnachie was exposed as denying that Jews were murdered in gas chambers in the Holocaust – claim that their own video of the march taken on the Royal Mile proved the attendance was 3989.
Absolutely appalling to see a 'community note' added to @LesleyRiddoch's tweet which cites as it's source the blog of a Holocaust denier who was expelled from UKIP @CommunityNotes pic.twitter.com/TIx0VgLTqN
— Ross Greer (@Ross_Greer) September 3, 2023
Despite the video appearing to fail to take into account the fact that many attendants of the rally would not have arrived via the Royal Mile, A Force for Good’s claim was used as a “community note” on the site.
Community notes are intended to be used a moderation tool to combat misinformation on the site.
But there is concern that the system, which is reliant upon X users who apply to contribute their own community notes, increasingly displays politically partisan information as fact.
Scottish Greens MSP criticised the use of A Force for Good as a source beneath Riddoch’s tweet.
He said: “Absolutely appalling to see a ‘community note’ added to @LesleyRiddoch’s tweet which cites as its source the blog of a Holocaust denier who was expelled from @CommunityNotes”
The group, which contains various former members of UKIP and the BNP, have increasingly been spotted at pro-independence rallies waving Union flags.
Earlier this year one member of the group, Max Dunbar, was heckled at a gender-critical rally for holding a sign which read: “Defy the Gaystapo”.
