Unmasking the Role of Misinformation in the Israel-Hamas Conflict

Verified accounts on Elon Musk's X platform were found to be responsible for spreading nearly three-quarters of the most viral posts containing misinformation about the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to a study by NewsGuard. These accounts, which obtained verification through Musk's revamped system, were identified as "superspreaders" of false narratives while displaying a blue checkmark that verifies nothing. The study identified ten prominent false claims that were widely spread, accumulating over 1.3 million engagements and more than 100 million views globally in just one week. Musk criticized NewsGuard, calling it a scam, while the European Commission warned X of potential penalties under the new Digital Services Act if it fails to address the dissemination of Israel/Hamas disinformation.