https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/09/presidential-debate-abc-whistleblower-car-crash/
Bad actors and algorithms helped spread a rumor that's entrapped a random accident victim.
That is not surprising given the number of people that believe in magic
Or religion. Or ghosts. Or Bigfoot. Or demons. Or the supernatural. Or zodiac signs. Or miracle cures. Or chiropractors. Or antivax. Or Qanon. Or sovern citizenship.
It's always disappointing how many people believe in obviously fake bullshit.
Fake or outdated info, actually. While this is a small tangent, I make it a habit to review basic, introductory information on a regular basis. (For example, I'll still watch the occasional 3D printer 101 guide even though I could probably build one from scratch while blindfolded.)
I have been in IT for a very long time and have branched out into other engineering fields over the years. What I have found, unsurprisingly, is that methods and theories can get outdated quick. So, regularly reviewing things I consider "engineering gospel" is just healthy practice.
For the topic at hand, it doesn't take much misinformation (or outdated information) to morph into something absolutely fake, or at best, completely wrong. It takes work to separate fact from fiction and many people are too lazy to look past internet pictures with words, or 15 second video clips. (It's also hard to break out of believing unverified information "just because that's the way is".)