(NewsNation) — A NewsGuard analysis of X, formerly Twitter, found that users with a blue check beside their name produce 74% of the platform’s most viral false or unsubstantiated remarks about the Israel-Hamas war.
About three-fourths of the most viral X posts pushing misinformation about the war came from accounts verified under Elon Musk’s new system for distributing the site’s blue check mark profile status, NewsGuard found.
The outlet analyzed the 250 most-engaged posts that furthered one of 10 false or unsubstantiated claims about the war during the week it began.
More than 100 million people worldwide viewed the posts in the span of one week, according to NewsGuard. About 32% of the posts were flagged and included a community note from the platform.
Misinformation was also spreading quickly on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok, according to the report. Many posts, however, appeared to go viral on X before making their way to other platforms.
The check mark was previously used to signify the credibility and legitimacy of accounts belonging to entities like official organizations, celebrities, journalists and news organizations.
Musk overhauled that system when he purchased Twitter in March. Now, users have the option to pay a subscription fee for access to X Premium – the only way to receive a blue check mark. The platform’s help center says subscribers must meet certain criteria to be issued a check mark, including “no signs of being misleading or deceptive.”
NewsNation reached out to X for a comment but hasn’t heard back.
NewsGuard reported receiving an automated response from X’s press team saying, “Busy now. Please check back later.”