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Falsified X Profiles and Facebook Accounts amp up Hate Speech and Violence in the Wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's Murder

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare being shot has sparked foreign fake accounts to share overtly extreme opinions.

Arrest Made in Pennsylvania Regarding the Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Arrest Made in Pennsylvania Regarding the Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Falsified X Profiles and Facebook Accounts amp up Hate Speech and Violence in the Wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO's Murder

After the recent assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, social media platforms erupted with varying opinions. Some celebrated the suspect, Luigi Mangione, while others condemned the act and called for retribution against healthcare executives.

However, not all these voices were genuine. According to Israeli startup Cyabra, utilizing AI for social media pattern and sentiment analysis, handfuls of fabricated accounts were propagating extreme rhetoric post-incident on platforms like Facebook and particularly X. An investigation of posts during the past week incorporating "kill" and "healthcare CEOs" revealed 11% were either generated by or boosted by counterfeit profiles.

Cyabra ascertained that almost 15% of posts employing the hashtag #CEOAssassin, used by Mangione supporters and those advocating for his imprisonment, stemmed from phony accounts. Many of these accounts were traced back to international networks, Cyabra CEO Dan Brahmy informed Our Website, and the tweets originated in assorted countries, from Moldova to the UK and US. Cyabra's examination uncovered no proof that these fake accounts were part of an organized campaign.

Over 10% of posts tagged #TheClaimsAdjustor - another hashtag associated with Mangione - and #denydefenddepose - a reference to the phrases present on bullet casings discovered near the shooting - were amplified by fake profiles, as per Cyabra's study.

Facebook and X remained tight-lipped at requests for comment.

Inauthentic activity and interaction surrounding the assassination were significantly higher on X than Facebook. This is hardly surprising considering that extreme discourse and calls for violence have flourished on X ever since Elon Musk took control in 2023 and dismantled X’s trust and safety team. The Center for Countering Digital Hate stated that X removed only 14% of 300 hateful posts after the organization reported them a week later.

“Although X remains a primary platform for engagement around these themes, these figures also illustrate broader user trends and platforms' influence on public discourse,” added Brahmy. “This data compels us to confront difficult truths about societal behavior in the digital age. Social media has transformed from merely reflecting society to magnifying its most sinister impulses.”

Cyabra, founded by Brahmy in 2017, boasts backing from top-tier venture capital firms like Founders Fund and Tel Aviv-based TAU Ventures, and has amassed a total of $14.5 million in funding. Mike Pompeo, former CIA chief, serves on the company's board. Earlier this year, they announced plans to list on the NASDAQ by merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

  1. Despite the controversy, Facebook and X failed to provide comments on the proliferation of fake accounts spreading extremist rhetoric related to the UnitedHealthcare CEO's assassination.
  2. The investigation by Cyabra revealed that a significant proportion of posts using the hashtags #CEOAssassin, #TheClaimsAdjustor, and #denydefenddepose were amplified by fake accounts, particularly on X.
  3. Following the dismantling of X's trust and safety team in 2023 by Elon Musk, extreme discourse and calls for violence have flourished on the platform, leading to higher levels of inauthentic activity and interaction surrounding the assassination.

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