On September 20th, former United States President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., reported that his X (formerly Twitter) account had been compromised, leading to a series of offensive tweets, as per the New York Post.
Among these tweets was a false announcement of his father, Donald Trump’s, passing, followed by a claim of his own presidential candidacy in 2024.
The initial message from Don Jr.’s account, posted at 8:25 am, falsely stated, “I’m sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024.“
However, at 8:46 am, more than 20 minutes later, the 77-year-old former president posted an unrelated message on his rival platform, Truth Social, confirming his vitality.
While many suspected that the account had been hacked, numerous X users found the news unsettling.
This incident not only exposed vulnerabilities in the micro-blogging platform’s online security but also raised concerns about the misuse of social media platforms for disseminating false information and fostering negativity.
Although the posts were promptly removed, this event served as a stark reminder of the challenges involved in safeguarding digital identities and information in today’s digital age.
Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October of the previous year was widely applauded by conservatives, including Trump Jr., as the new owner had relaxed content moderation rules in an effort to promote free speech.
He also reinstated several accounts banned under the platform’s previous ownership, including that of former President Donald Trump.
Musk had asserted that at least 90% of scam accounts had been eliminated, but experts disputed this claim, and recent instances showed that malicious actors continued to spread false information on the platform.
