A version of this story appears in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.
CNN —
Misinformation is trending now that Elon Musk, the self-described “Chief Twit,” has bought Twitter, his favorite social media platform.
Meanwhile, displays of hate are breaking out in public now that Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, has despicably fashioned himself as a folk hero for those spewing antisemitic messages, pushing his own anti-Jewish conspiracy theories.
The stories dovetail not just because they are built on the wild spread of false claims, but also because West’s Twitter account – locked in early October for an antisemitic tweet in which he said he was going “death con 3 on Jewish people” – was recently reactivated. More on that below.
Musk, the world’s richest man, promised to keep Twitter from becoming “a free-for-all hellscape” and said he bought the platform to protect free speech, but over the weekend he grabbed real headlines for sharing fake news.
He responded to a tweet from Hillary Clinton in which he linked to a story with made-up accusations about the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul. Read more about Musk’s tweet.
Musk later deleted that tweet, but Twitter is crawling with false memes about the attack, as CNN reported Monday.
It’s impossible to wade through them. An emergency call taken out of context. An incorrect report about what the suspected attacker was...
A federal jury has convicted a San Francisco man of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent insurance claims on already-wrecked vehicles, pros...