Celebrity news? Nah, that’s so fake
There’s fake news, and there’s fake celebrity news. Guess which one is spread the most and does the most damage on social media? You’re so smart. Yup, it’s fake celebrity news.
ExpressVPN’s 2023 Misinformation Index includes a whole lineup of our famous friends who got caught up in a mess of misinformation. Let’s dig into some of the wildest, weirdest stories.
It’s getting Musky in here
No surprise, Elon Musk topped the fake news index with 157,385 engagements. Since the Tesla boss began his reign at X, he’s been criticized for spreading false information so much that it grabbed the attention of the European Union.
Musk is sometimes the subject of fake news himself. One bogus viral video says he invented a quantum AI project to solve poverty. The clip showed Musk on the “Tucker Carlson Tonight” show, but it was debunked because the audio didn’t match the video.
In too deep(fake)
Not even Taylor Swift is immune. A fake story about her went viral on Reddit, complete with an AI-generated photo showing Swift eating ice cream in front of hungry children in Africa — apparently during her Eras tour … except the tour never went to Africa. Oops.
A photo of Selena Gomez at this year’s Met Gala ran rampant online. She wasn’t there. The deepfake creator superimposed her face onto a picture of actress Lily James from last year’s Gala.
Oh baby, baby
A video of pop megastar Rihanna went viral in November, showing her pregnant with her third kiddo with rapper A$AP Rocky. Rih Rih had just given birth in August, so fans were shocked. Yeah, it was a hoax.
Then there was the Meghan Markle conspiracy that her pregnancy was fake and that she hired a surrogate for their two kids. The royal formerly known as Prince Harry is also a fake news favorite.
Harry’s name generated 6,048 engagements on fake news stories after his tell-all biography was released. The juiciest rumor of all? That he was about to get into American politics. Could you imagine? Talk about a nightmare.
Don't fall for this new Facebook giveaway scam
Thieves are always out in full force during the holidays looking to rip you off. They play on your emotions and even devise elaborate schemes to trick you into handing over money or personal information. Tap or click here for holiday scams to know about so you don’t get fooled.
7 podcasts that help you weed out misinformation online
Lies take many different forms on the internet. There’s misinformation, which is when someone spreads lies while thinking they’re sharing the truth. Then there’s out-and-out disinformation. That’s when someone maliciously spreads lies with the intention of tricking others.
Wayback Machine will now fact-check archived webpages
Fact-checking has become one of the most popular ways to fight disinformation online. You can see it in action on sites like Facebook and Twitter, where certain posts now come attached with annotations for context.
Some believe these moves are a form of censorship by social media companies. Like health professionals, others say it’s the best way to stop disinformation from going viral and harming people. Tap or click here to see how Facebook blocked the spread of a viral COVID-19 conspiracy theory.