Elon Musk, the owner of the social media site X (previously known as Twitter), recently implemented automatic changes to URLs on the platform that caused controversy and raised questions about whether users were in danger of falling victim to scams.
Musk rebranded Twitter to X and changed its blue bird emblem after buying it for $44 billion in 2022. According to a Gizmodo report, Some users noticed that X was automatically altering Twitter.com URLs to X.com on the iOS app a few days ago. Moreover, users observed that regardless of where "Twitter" was in the URL, posts with "NetfliTwitter.com" unexpectedly became "Netflix.com."
The automated changes in X sent users to the original URL, not the actual website, which was a risk. The updated URLs might enable phishing efforts to obtain login credentials.
Vigilant X users, such as @yuyu0127_, took action to avoid exploitation. They bought names like "netflitwitter.com" to prevent fraudulent activity and warned users about automated URL changes.
On Tuesday, X stopped automatically switching "NetfliTwitter.com" to "Netflix.com" on iOS. Reports suggest that further word changes mimicking real websites persisted, despite the lack of examples provided.
Escalating Tensions with Brazil
This controversy occurs after a Supreme Court justice began an investigation into Elon Musk's behavior on Sunday, escalating tensions with Brazil.
Elon Musk's decision to reinstate X accounts, which the judge had barred, escalated this situation. The tech mogul aggressively opposed Justice Alexandre de Moraes' account-blocking order. According to Reuters, Musk called for Moraes' resignation and said that X would abolish all limitations, calling them unlawful.
On Saturday, X announced the order to ban social media accounts without mentioning the timeframe.
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Justice Moraes is investigating "digital militias" suspected of spreading fake news and hate speech under former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. He heads an investigation into Bolsonaro's alleged coup attempt.
In an X post, Musk slammed Moraes on Saturday for abandoning the Brazilian constitution and its people. He mentioned heavy penalties, threats of staff arrest, and X's ban on Brazil.
Musk committed to litigating the ruling barring X accounts, whatever the financial consequences.
As a result, Justice Moraes included Musk in the social media misleading probe and investigated obstruction of justice. Moraes ordered X to respect court instructions or face daily fines of 100,000 reais ($19,740).
(Photo : Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Tesla Gigafactory electric car plant as he holds his son X Æ A-XII during a visit on March 13, 2024 near Gruenheide, Germany.
Elon Musk Acknowledges Consequences of Social Media Remarks
In a separate update reported by TechTimes, Elon Musk's recent deposition shows a major shift in his view of social media's significance.
The Tesla CEO acknowledged the financial consequences of his Twitter remarks in his deposition. His statement appears throughout Ben Brody's defamation case against Musk from last autumn.
Brody, 22, claims Elon Musk spread a conspiracy theory, falsely accusing him in an Oregon far-right conflict. The X owner's legal team tried to keep his almost two-hour deposition transcript confidential, but the court refused.
Throughout the deposition, Musk answered Brody's attorney, Mark Bankston,'s questions about his social media activities, particularly after acquiring Twitter. Musk asserted consistency in his postings but acknowledged that his actions may have hurt the platform.
Elon Musk acknowledged that his postings may affect the firm financially, but he prioritized interesting or noteworthy material over financial reasons.
The tech billionnaire remained unsure about Brody's lawsuit's objectives, indicating his counsel may be profit-driven. Musk's tweets last summer endorsed a far-right conspiracy theory tying Brody to the Oregon incident, which prompted the lawsuit.
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