Elon Musk has been recognized as a “super spreader” of fake news and disinformation by NewsGuard
NewsGuard, a rating system designed to analyze and rank news content, recognized Elon Musk as a “super source” of disinformation about the military confrontation between Israel and Hamas. The social network owned by the billionaire is used to spread the most famous fake news about the Israeli-Palestinian war.
According to Newsweek, 3/4 of the most “viral” publications about the military conflict are promoted by owners of “verified” X-accounts. The verification of accounts for money was introduced by Musk in March this year. To get a “blue tick” it is enough to pay 8 USD. X algorithms give priority to posts published by owners of “verified” profiles.
The possibility of getting a “tick” for money turned out to be a real manna from heaven for bots. Accounts “verified” by the X administration allow them to reach a larger audience. NewsGuard’s analysis shows that 186 out of 250 major fake news stories were published in X between 07.10-14.10 by the owners of verified profiles. Some of the most deceptive fake news includes:
- Ukraine’s sale of weapons to Hamas.
- Israel’s murder of 33 thousand people. children in the Gaza Strip over the past five years.
- Video of Palestinian children in cages.
- Video of captured Israeli officials.
- Staging an attack by CNN journalists.
- The White House allocates USD 8 billion in aid to Israel.
In total, publications that were not true received 1.3 million shares. Within one week, users from all over the world viewed them 100 million times.
