NEARLY THREE-FOURTHS OF THE MOST VIRAL posts on X advancing misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war are being pushed by "verified" X Premium accounts, a NewsGuard analysis has found.
In March 2023, X owner Elon Musk overhauled the platform's verification system, allowing users to pay a fee of $8 a month to become X Premium users. Premium accounts display a blue checkmark on their profile and have their posts prioritized by the algorithm used by X (previously known as Twitter). This means that they appear higher, with greater prominence, in users' replies and search results. That decision turned out to be a boon for bad actors sharing misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, they have gained the added credibility associated with the once-prestigious blue checkmark, enabling them to reach a larger audience.
During the first week of the conflict (October 7 to October 14), NewsGuard analyzed the 250 most-engaged posts (likes, reposts, replies and bookmarks) promoting one of 10 prominent false or unsubstantiated narratives relating to the war, derived from NewsGuard's Misinformation Fingerprints, its proprietary database of prominent false narratives. The results revealed that 186 out of these 250 posts-74 percent were shared by accounts verified by X.
These are the 10 false or unsubstantiated claims identified by NewsGuard shared by these verified accounts:
▸ Ukraine sold weapons to Hamas
▸Israel has killed 33,000 Palestinian children since 2008
▸ A video shows Israeli or Palestinian children in cages
▸ A video shows Israeli senior officials captured by Hamas The Saint Porphyrios Orthodox Church in Gaza was destroyed by Israeli bombing
▸ A video shows Hamas fighters celebrating the abduction of an Israeli toddler
▸ CNN staged footage of its news crew under attack in Israel
Esta historia es de la edición November 10, 2023 de Newsweek US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 10, 2023 de Newsweek US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
