A Deep Dive into X’s Community Notes: An Analysis of English and Spanish Contributions Between 2021 and 2025
ddia.org
The Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA) examined how X’s Community Notes system functions across English and Spanish, drawing from over 1.76 million notes submitted globally between 2021 and 2025. The report explores submission and publication dynamics, contributor behavior, and systemic challenges like transparency gaps and rating backlogs. As community-driven content moderation becomes a global model, this report sheds light on its potential, and limitations, for building a healthier online information ecosystem.

The vast majority of submitted notes – more than 90% – never reach the public. In early 2025, over 17% of English notes and 15% of Spanish notes remained unevaluated. Some were rated “not helpful,” and dismissed. But many are simply never rated at all, leaving them stranded in the system without ever entering a decision pipeline. For a program marketed as fast, scalable, and transparent, these figures should raise serious concerns.