Blue-Checked, ‘Verified’ Users on X Produce 74 Percent of the Platform’s Most Viral False or Unsubstantiated Claims Relating to the Israel-Hamas War : technology

[-] seaQueue@lemmy.world 188 points 2 years ago

It's almost as if paying for a trusted or verified badge makes it easier to spread misinformation

[-] takeda@lemmy.world 59 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

He claims that paying helps eliminate bots, there's no way he truly believes that or he is dumber than given credit for. The entities that are interested in disinformation have deep pockets. Most of disinformation on Facebook was done by paying them.

[-] snooggums@kbin.social 34 points 2 years ago

Musk knows, he just wants to make money.

[-] SonnyVabitch@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Why though? How is his life any different if he makes more money?

[-] 0xD21F@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Because Twitter owes more in interest on the loans he took to buy it than it makes every month and he needs to dig himself out of a financial black hole.

[-] snooggums@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago

What has been his motivation since becoming a millionaire? Money gives him control over others.

[-] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

He can say he makes more money for one. /s

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 2 years ago

If twatter turns a profit he looks good (to simps). If it craters he looks like he fucked up.

Two words for Lonnie: clown shoes

[-] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 years ago

But then unemployed facebook moms can’t spread their misinformation about whatever it is that’s virally spreading that week.

[-] JunglGeorg@lemmy.world 65 points 2 years ago

I guess that means the dumpster fire platform is working exactly as Space Karen intended

[-] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 51 points 2 years ago

That's a feature not a bug. Delete Twitter

[-] Speculater@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

You made me double check that I had, I have.

[-] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Facebook up. Hit the lawyer. Delete gym.

[-] skymtf@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 2 years ago

As planned though! Elon Musk doesn't care about misinfo as long as aligns with his politics.

[-] avater@lemmy.world 27 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

[removed by mod]

[-] Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 years ago

Of a state actor is going to pay for a disinformation opp, $8 an account for signal boost is a no brainier.

[-] danque@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

The moment it became paid to be official was the moment spammers and worse thought they would become recognised as trustworthy. Nowadays if it's blue dont believe anything they say.

So a large amount of dipshits who're are stupid or vicious enough to pay for blue, digital checkmarks are largely posting false content that is believed by other dipshits who get their knowledge just by a degenerated social media platform like twitter?

Call me surprised... /s

[-] _number8_@lemmy.world 24 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

blue check replies are fucking garbage, i'm so fucking sick of having to scroll thru them for 5 fucking minutes to maybe see a sensible take

[+] CubbyTustard@reddthat.com 41 points 2 years ago

[deleted]

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago

It's easy to switch platforms. It's a lot harder to get all your contacts to switch platforms.

[-] snooggums@kbin.social 15 points 2 years ago

If my contacts want to meet at the bar that used to be fun, but is now full of racists and nazis instead of just have one or two wander in occasionall before getting kicked out, they can meet there without me.

[-] glimse@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Well one new bar that I heard is really good is invite-only and the other is confusing for less bar-savvy friends to get to and use

I'm not an active Twitter user, I'm just imagining the transition pains when the discord servers I use slowly start to migrate somewhere else

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[-] xkforce@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Full 360 degree panoramic view of the dumpster fire

[-] grrk@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago

If i had to guess, habit. If someone's used to doing something everyday they're gonna trend towards repeating what's already engrained into their routine because the familiar shit-show is still more comfortable than the unfamiliar but more enjoyable platforms/habits, whatever they may be

[-] MysticKetchup@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

It doesn't matter how good the new platforms are if the people you follow aren't there. I do all my posting on Mastodon now but when it comes to people I follow on Twitter virtually none of them have moved their stuff over so I run out of interesting things to check out quickly

[-] Khalic@kbin.social 6 points 2 years ago

Just stop using it…

[-] Hypx@kbin.social 5 points 2 years ago

Time to leave X then.

[-] Teodomo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

People here are just gonna tell you to leave (I have done so myself) but if you can't for whatever reason something that can help is an extension like Blue Blocker which automatically blocks (or you can set it to mute) blue check marks as you encounter them. That way you don't give them money for their horrible baits. While I was at Twitter waiting until the people I followed shared their new socials (sadly most went to BlueSky instead of Mastodon so I lost them anyway) I used Blue Blocker in that manner. You can set exceptions for certain accounts tho I didn't, it mercilessly muted all checkmarks from my feed and revealed the bare Twitter behind. The result was somewhat like old Twitter at first but eventually it does get kinda slow as most of the valuable accounts become inactive. On the bright side that made leaving so much easier, so if you want to leave but need a motivator there's one that might help you.

[-] ZeroCool@feddit.ch 21 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Yep, sounds like Elon and the Saudi's have achieved their goal of crippling Twitter's utility as a means of organizing large scale protests and uprisings like the Arab Spring or the BLM protests in 2020. Now all that's left are propaganda bots and various flavours of right wing extremists.

[-] blazeknave@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Oh shit

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[-] TwoGems@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

Demand USA lawmakers make a fairness doctrine for media and social media. We used to have a fairness doctrine. Tweak it though.

The fairness doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows, or editorials. The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The demise of this FCC rule has been cited as a contributing factor in the rising level of party polarization in the United States.[5][6]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine

[-] fubo@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Everyone continuing to use Twitter/X is thereby materially supporting fascism. That's what the service exists for today.

[-] Gorgeous_Sloth@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 years ago

You take bolder shortcuts than me on Mario Kart

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[-] MargotRobbie@lemm.ee 12 points 2 years ago

You should probably not listen to the opinion of anyone who pays Elon Musk 8 dollars a month for an emoji.

[-] xc2215x@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago

Elon doesn't care because he agrees with them.

[-] mlg@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

I mean this is already unsurprising given how easy it was to get a blue checkmark as a journalist back when it was Twitter.

Literally any media corporation could get it for any of their employees. But for anyone else, you had to pay thousands to get a middleman who had a contact at twitter to verify you. It was such a weird system.

[-] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 8 points 2 years ago

I'm shocked, shocked! Well, not that shocked.

[-] jray4559@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 2 years ago

About everyone (including several news sites) have produced false/misleading claims about who launched which rocket and how many were killed and all the other stuff, because this fight is messy, and both sides want to look good.

How many of those misinformers just copied from another source that's supposed to be more trusted?

[-] TheGreatFox@lemm.ee 6 points 2 years ago

Blue Blocker is a great extension for anyone still using Twitter.

[-] monkeytennis@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

This is not news. Stop upvoting Twitter spam, it's not even vaguely interesting.

[-] AVincentInSpace@pawb.social 2 points 2 years ago

This definitely feels le sampling bias to me. What percentage of xhitter as a whole is paying for blue checks? What percentage of information regarding the war from blue checks is true? How does that compare with the same figure for non paying customers?

[-] stormtrooper@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 years ago

Shocking.

[-] Jackthelad@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

This is hardly surprising seeing as any one of us could create an account, buy a blue tick and then start posting any old shit.

[-] heygooberman@lemmy.today 1 points 2 years ago

Well, I mean, didn't he change the standards for what it takes to get a blue checkmark? This is no surprise to me.

[-] nicetriangle@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

Lol no shit

[-] Anonymousllama@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Exactly what he wanted, money. He's not interested in the slightest with factual information unless there's some way he can use it for his own benefit

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