Be careful online

Created
Mon, 09/10/2023 - 08:30
Updated
Mon, 09/10/2023 - 08:30
There is more disinformation and misinformation on the social media platform about this war in Israel than I’ve ever seen before. It’s all so awful and the news just seems to get worse. There’s plenty of analysis out there but it’s contentious and difficult and I just can’t get past the horrors of the moment long enough to really absorb any of it. And if you follow any of the social media platforms it’s almost impossible to know what’s real and what isn’t. It’s a mess out there: As one of the largest invasions in 50 years unfolded on the streets, sea and skies over Israel, misinformation about the assault proliferated on social media. In one instance, a widely circulated video of an Israeli airstrike was said to show a retaliation to Saturday’s surprise attack by Palestinian group Hamas, which has left hundreds dead. “BREAKING: Israeli Air Force is striking terror targets in Gaza,” read the caption of the video, which was shared on Facebook and social media platform X. But the video was from airstrikes that happened in May, Reuters reported. In another, numerous users on X and TikTok shared a video that showed two jets being towed by ground. Some users claimed it showed Israeli Defense forces evacuating air bases near Gaza. One user said it showed Hamas forces towing Israeli jets. That video, however, was published last month, appearing on YouTube on Sept. 19, according to Reuters. The reposted version of the video had been viewed hundreds of thousands of times by…