Americans are struggling to buy groceries while Olena Zelenska recently spent millions of dollars on a Bugatti sports car claimed a social media post that has gone viral this week. It follows a previous online claim that the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took a December 2022 shopping trip to Paris where the Ukrainian first lady spent $42,500 on designer clothing and accessories.
"russian propaganda sources spread a fake about Olena Zelenska's alleged purchase of a Bugatti Tourbillon for 4.5 million euros," noted a post from Center for Countering Disinformation.Hurricane Beryl Strengthens To Category 5 And Moves Towards Jamaica After Pummeling Other Caribbean Islands—PhotosHowever, even if users add context and the story has been widely debunked, there are still many who accept the story as factual.
"High-profile social media users do share this type of information, but whether it gains them new followers or simply endears them to their current followers is somewhat unclear. People like Alex Jones and Ben Shapiro have built strong followings sharing misinformation, but so did radio host Rush Limbaugh 30 years ago," said Karasin.
"The simpler the message, ironically the more likely propaganda is to be picked up and circulated. It does not require extensive explanations or verification," said Irina Tsukerman, president of Scarab Rising and geopolitical analyst with a focus on information warfare."Cognitive bias/confirmation bias plays a huge role in disseminating disinformation. In this case, the audience to which the message is geared tends to be already skeptical of government in general, and the U.S.
"There are an overwhelming number of sources online today, from new-age blogs to fake social media accounts, making it increasingly challenging to distinguish between what's genuine and what's fabricated," said