"Breaking news from the everything app: Not everything you see on the everything app is real. This is not news to you, of course: You are a savvy internet user. But lots of other people seemed to be shocked to learn that some high-profile accounts on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, are not who they say they are: A new feature on the app lets you see (more or less)"
"We've known forever that people like to misrepresent their identity online. Sometimes it's for lolz, sometimes it's for safety reasons. Sometimes it's a state-sponsored effort to destabilize a foe. But the primary reason to type stuff under a fake name is money: The internet can turn outrage into clicks, and clicks into pennies, and if you do it enough, those pennies can add up."
Many high-profile social media accounts are not what they appear to be, with a significant number operated from overseas. A platform feature revealing posting locations shows accounts that present as focused on American politics actually posting from countries like India, Thailand, and Eastern Europe. Motivations for fake identities include humor, safety, state influence, and primarily monetization. Outrage-driven content converts engagement into ad revenue, and even small per-click earnings can accumulate. Historical examples include Russian military interference efforts and Macedonian teenagers creating fake posts to drive traffic to ad-filled blogs for profit.
Read at Business Insider
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