Experts from the News Literacy Project have warned that, ahead of the U.S. elections, social media is being flooded with fake news aimed at influencing voters, using false endorsements from celebrities and well-known figures as a new weapon.
According to a report by a British broadcasting outlet, the News Literacy Project’s latest findings claim that the 2024 presidential elections have seen a surge in social media posts featuring fake endorsements by celebrities for various presidential candidates, alongside other false claims.
The report indicates that the News Literacy Project’s database reveals an analysis of one in ten viral posts based on fake endorsements. Approximately 550 unique cases of misinformation have surfaced during the current election campaign.
A recent example of such false endorsements was shared by Donald Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he posted an image created with the help of artificial intelligence. The post depicted a crowd of Taylor Swift fans calling themselves “Swifties for Trump.” Trump shared the post with the caption “I accept.”
The collage shared by Trump included an image of Taylor Swift wearing an “Uncle Sam” shirt, which was later revealed to be fake. In another seemingly real image, a young woman is shown wearing the same shirt.
The report highlights that, in the past, American singer Taylor Swift had accused Trump of “stoking the flames of white supremacy” during his presidency. In the 2020 elections, she endorsed Joe Biden. However, this time, she has yet to endorse any presidential candidate.
The report also mentions that AI-generated posts have falsely claimed endorsements from a variety of figures, including NFL stars, Aaron Rodgers, Morgan Freeman, musician Bruce Springsteen, and political figures like Michelle Obama.
These fake posts attributed to just four celebrities have garnered over 10 million views.
The British outlet’s report further asserts that neither Taylor Swift has endorsed Donald Trump, nor has Ryan Reynolds worn a shirt supporting Kamala Harris. Additionally, the U.S. Communist Party has never backed Joe Biden’s campaign.
The report labels all such posts as fake endorsements and false news.
