Following the Southport murders in July 2024, misinformation spread rapidly on X, exacerbating racial tensions and inciting violence across the UK. Amnesty International's report indicates that the platform’s algorithms prioritize engagement over safety by promoting inflammatory content without safeguards. Falsehoods regarding the killer's identity and background fueled unrest, and certain accounts known for far-right views gained visibility. Senior media analysts noted that Elon Musk contributed to this issue by amplifying harmful messages significantly during the crisis, thereby impacting the online discourse substantially.
Amnesty International stated that X's algorithms prioritize engagement over safety, allowing misinformation about the Southport murders to proliferate quickly on the platform.
Within hours after the Southport murders, falsehoods about the killer’s identity and background spread rapidly on social media, leading to widespread violence in the UK.
The recommendation system of X favors content that sparks outrage and engagement, lacking adequate safeguards against harmful posts, according to a recent Amnesty report.
Evidence suggests that Elon Musk himself amplified far-right messaging during the UK riots, posting 46 times and generating over 808 million impressions.
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