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Social media’s reckoning may have arrived — thanks to Elon Musk
Summary: Social media is facing a huge reality check. On X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk brought back banned accounts and got rid of the teams meant to stop fake news. Recently, X rushed out a new feature in just 72 hours to show where users are located. It accidentally revealed that many "MAGA" accounts are actually run from Nigeria by people pretending to be angry Americans just to get clicks! Some even bought official blue checkmarks using stolen photos of European influencers.
Meanwhile, court papers show Meta (the company that owns Instagram and Facebook) knew its apps were harming people's mental health. Their own secret study, called "Project Mercury," proved that taking a break from social media lowers depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Even worse, Meta let accounts break rules against human sex trafficking 16 times before finally banning them. Both companies are choosing money and outrage over our health and safety, proving we need real rules to protect the public.
For more details, see salon at salon.com/2025/11/24/social-medias-reckoning-may-have-arrived-thanks-to-elon-musk/ (opens in new tab)