Consider this a gentle reminder to not trust everything you see online.
Driving the news: Social media is now flooded with news about the Israel-Hamas war, as happens when any major world event unfurls these days. However, experts warn that the speed and scale at which disinformation is being spread is unprecedented, per WIRED.
- Research group Alethea uncovered coordinated action between 67 X (formerly Twitter) accounts spreading rampant disinformation over the weekend.
These are far from the only cases of fake news on social media in recent days. Doctored news items, clips from short films, and even video game action sequences have been published online, with posters claiming they’re events happening IRL in Israel and Gaza.
Why it matters: The chaos caused by events like this is ripe for actors looking to sow fear, and it’s only gotten more difficult to police as it's easier than ever to generate realistic disinfo. This is especially troubling as social media can be a truly vital source of on-the-ground info.
- It doesn’t help that a certain one-letter platform gutted its moderation team and has made it harder to source reliable info by charging for verification and axing headlines.
What’s next: Things have gotten so bad on X and Facebook that the EU had issued warnings demanding that X and Meta do something ASAP to combat illegal content and disinformation. If they don’t, they could potentially face harsh regulatory penalties.—QH