[Toronto, Ontario] — [March 24, 2025] — We’re pleased to introduce the NoteTracker Dashboard, a new app that brings greater transparency and data-driven insights to crowdsourced content moderation on the social media platform X. Built around #OpenData and #DataForGood principles, NoteTracker offers a first-of-its-kind public window into X’s Community Notes ecosystem—highlighting both visible and not-yet-visible notes.
Community Notes on X are submitted and rated by everyday users, rather than professional fact-checkers, who collaboratively provide context to potentially misleading or harmful posts. However, because the visibility of these notes depends on other users rating them as ‘helpful’, many never see the light of day.
“The app revealed that nearly 90% of proposed community notes never become visible on X,” said Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd, Co-Director of the Social Media Lab. “This observation highlights the shortcomings of crowdsourced content moderation systems like Community Notes—an important consideration as more platforms explore similar models.”
What Makes NoteTracker Different?
- Unfiltered Access: View notes that haven’t yet met X’s visibility threshold, offering insight into the ~90% of Community Notes that never go live.
- In-Depth Analysis: Explore notes by type—Factual Error, Manipulated Media, Missing Context, Unverified Claim as Fact, and more.
- Increased Transparency: Track which types of notes get published on X—and which don’t—to better understand how the moderation process works in practice.
Why This Matters?
While Community Notes can help slow the spread of misinformation, NoteTracker data reveals systemic challenges. When about 9 out of 10 community-contributed notes are never published, the platform risks sidelining helpful context and disengaging contributors over time.
“Crowdsource fact-checking can complement the work of expert fact-checkers —but it cannot replace it,” Philip Mai, Co-Director of the Social Media Lab. “With NoteTracker, journalists, researchers, and regulators now have a way to monitor whether the Community Notes system is working as advertised. ”
Who It’s For?
- Journalists and researchers tracking misinformation trends
- Regulator and civic technologists building tools for a healthier internet
- Everyday users curious about what’s happening behind the scenes with community Notes
Learn More
The NoteTracker Dashboard is now live and freely available to the public. https://notetracker.socialmediadata.org/