After the 2024 Southport attack, false claims about the suspect spread online while the facts were still emerging. This special report uses that episode to ask how anti-Muslim narratives gain visibility, attract engagement, and persist on X, starting with platform features such as paid reply prominence and Original Content Rewards.
The report reviews research on online hostility targeting Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Mamdani, a moderation study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, and European findings on advertising transparency and researcher access. Throughout, it separates documented findings from claims about coordinated networks, foreign operations, and individual earnings that require more evidence.
Watch the full video above.
