The Impact of Misinformation on the Israel-Hamas Conflict: Unveiling the Role of Verified Accounts

Verified accounts on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, have been spreading misinformation about the Israel-Hamas conflict. ProPublica and Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism investigated over 200 misleading claims and identified 2,000 tweets by verified accounts that perpetuated them. These false posts, collectively viewed half a billion times, included manipulated media and out-of-context footage. Despite X's fact-checking system, Community Notes, many of these posts went unannotated or received limited visibility. Critics argue that changes implemented by X owner Elon Musk, including reducing the trust and safety team and expanding Community Notes, have led to a proliferation of misinformation and hate speech on the platform.