An algorithmic absurdity, fable of contemporary modernity, butterfly effect 3.0… Last March, the brand of Huggies diapers for babies published a strange press release on Twitter. “Our products and their designs are in no way intended to depict anything other than fun and playful illustrations,” it reads.
What could the small colored triangles arranged on the layers of the manufacturer represent? Hundreds of thousands of Internet users had accused Huggies of participating in a global pedophile ring; these drawings would be the proof. Incredible digital rumor, newborn… from the moderation strategy of Elon Musk, owner of the Twitter platform.
Since taking office a few months ago, around 67,000 accounts banned from Twitter for various breaches of the rules (incitement to violence, harassment, misinformation, etc.) have recently been reinstated on the platform, following the quasi-absolutist vision of the freedom of expression advocated by Elon Musk, according to specialists. There was Trump, who recently made a comeback. There is also now Vincent Kennedy.
The diaper conspiracy
Banned from Twitter after the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol in Washington, the proud supporter of the QAnon conspiratorial movement celebrated his return to the platform by posting a photo of a diaper featuring a “Lion King” character. , after having circled certain symbols forming part of the design, triangles and spirals. With this message: “once you’re really awake, you can’t go back to sleep”.
The tweet has been viewed more than 5 million times, taken up and adapted, according to the preferences and beliefs of other Internet users, some satirical, others very serious, sowing confusion among the most gullible users. LONG Media Matters retraced the path traveled by fake news. Down the road are Telegram channels, where the same image is posted, followed by the caption: “FBI pedophile symbols found on Huggies diapers”. Forums, or even TikTok, where Internet users implore: “Let our babies be left alone!”.
So much so that Kimberly-Clark, the parent company of Kleenex and Huggies, had to deal with an avalanche of hate messages and calls for a boycott. No wonder, when we know that when he arrived, Elon Musk laid off between 50 and 70% of Twitter’s workforce, while moderation is the area that requires the most human resources. In a recent interview with the BBC, Elon Musk denied that the proportion of toxic tweets had been on the rise since the takeover. “You say there’s more hate content, but you don’t have a single example,” he said.
A risky moderation
Hard to believe it. The return of hundreds of white supremacists or conspiracy theorists calling for hatred is not without consequences. Another example: when his account was restored, Mike Lindell, a fan of election conspiracy theories, called on his followers to “melt down the electronic voting machines”. Little inclined to treat American democracy, sick of its social networks.
Many of these profiles could appear reliable, because credited with a blue tick, formerly the prerogative of verified accounts, and credible. But then again, Musk has been there. From now on, it is enough to pay to obtain such a distinction. 10 euros per month, and you are crowned. What participate in the spread of false information, which, by their emotional potential, are already favored by the algorithms of the platforms.
Faced with these criticisms, Twitter is experimenting with a participatory content verification service. Everyone can offer context, which will then be noted by users, to end up appearing on problematic posts. Men vaccinated against Covid-19 are generally “sterile and their penises are rotting”, according to Stew Peters, far-right commentator with the blue dot? “This statement is false”, display the platform, citing US authorities. Still, this tweet, too, has been seen by millions of Internet users.