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
Denne historien er fra November 10, 2023-utgaven av Newsweek US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 10, 2023-utgaven av Newsweek US.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
AMERICA'S BEST LOYALTY PROGRAMS 2025
LOYALTY PROGRAMS HAVE BECOME A CORNERSTONE of the modern shopping experience, offering perks and rewards designed to keep customers returning for more.
Winning the Global Game
The U.S. holds more cards than China. Whether we keep our strategic advantage depends on how we play our hand
Solar Power
Scientists' creation of a record-breaking \"artificial sun\" brings nuclear fusion energy a step closer to being a commercial reality
Trump vs. Deep State
The president and his efficiency chief Elon Musk have brought in a wave of policies affecting federal employees' jobs. Government workers spoke to Newsweek about the impact
MAD ABOUT THE GIRL
AS RENÉE ZELLWEGER REPRISES THE ICONIC CHARACTER, BRIDGET JONES' CREATOR - AND MILLIONS OF FANS, COULDN'T BE HAPPIER
Armed and Dangerous
A Ukrainian colonel reveals how North Korean soldiers compared with their Russian allies
Patrick Gibson
WHEN YOU TAKE ON A ROLE THAT SOMEBODY ELSE MADE FAMOUS, IT'S not easy.
The AI Will See You Now
A light-hearted study into artificial intelligence's ability to perform cognitive tasks has raised questions around the roles of AI and doctors in health care
Jasmin Savoy Brown
SHOWTIME'S YELLOWJACKETS IS REALLY TWO shows in one.
BIOTECH: Blood, Sweat and Tears
Nine years in the making, Truvian's quick tabletop blood test promises to deliver where Theranos famously couldn't
