A software glitch in an update by the U.S. cybersecurity company CrowdStrike left millions of Windows-based devices out of service. This malfunction disrupted the operations of numerous airlines, banks, media outlets, and corporate offices worldwide for several hours before the issue was identified and gradually resolved.
The world's attention was drawn to this malfunction due to the initial ambiguity surrounding its nature, causes, and how long it would take to fix.
However, the lack of clear information created fertile ground for spreading misinformation and fake news about the nature of the malfunction, its causes, consequences, and the resulting losses. Shortly after the global outage, a verified account of Vincent Flibustier on the platform X posted, "First day at CrowdStrike, pushed a little update and taking the afternoon off," accompanied by a photo showing him behind the CrowdStrike logo, claiming to be an employee of the company.
This post garnered tens of millions of views and interactions. Two hours later, the same account posted another message stating, "Fired. Totally unfair," followed by a video where the account owner claimed to be an employee who, on his first day, performed a code update that caused the global glitch and was subsequently fired.
Misbar found that numerous accounts on X shared both the video and photo, alleging they belonged to the person responsible for the global glitch. The accounts highlighted details about the malfunction and reported that Vincent Flibustier, the employee in question, had been dismissed, according to his claims on his X account.
However, Vincent Flibustier is a trainer and specialist in raising awareness about the dangers of misinformation and fake news, not a technician at CrowdStrike, as clearly stated in his X account's bio.
After the claim went viral, Vincent Flibustier, the trainer at the center of the controversy, issued a video clarifying the situation. He asserted that the story was entirely fabricated and had no basis in fact, explaining that he had deliberately posted it following the global outage in Microsoft's systems.
Vincent Flibustier Explains His Motives for Claiming Responsibility for the Global Microsoft System Outage
Misbar contacted Vincent Flibustier, the alleged perpetrator of the outage affecting millions of devices worldwide. He confirmed that his work focuses on educating people about misinformation and the impact of social media, using satire as a tool to engage audiences and make complex topics more understandable.
Flibustier stated that he creates satirical content mimicking the style and form of real news to highlight the absurdity of certain claims and encourage critical thinking when dealing with news.
He added that using satire to address misinformation and fake news encourages people to engage in discussions about these serious issues in a way that is both entertaining and impactful.
Flibustier explained that he began his work in this field ten years ago with a satirical website called "Nordpresse." Additionally, he provides educational courses for children and teenagers at universities, companies, governments, NGOs, and for teachers about fake news and information verification on the internet.
Speaking about his reasons for fabricating a story about the CrowdStrike crisis, Flibustier told Misbar that people always need a scapegoat, which inspired him to create this story. He noted that it's easier for people to grasp the idea that "this is the stupid guy" responsible for the problem rather than understanding that "this is a big issue involving a whole chain of commands that failed for specific reasons."
He continued by saying that he initially found the situation amusing but never anticipated it would attract such widespread attention.
How Did Vincent Flibustier Make His Fake Story Believable?
In discussing the methods and techniques he used to make his fake story seem believable, Vincent Flibustier explained that people tend to look for a culprit in such incidents. In this case, since no perpetrator had been identified, he presented a simple narrative that introduced a culprit to the public. He added that the perpetrator in the story appears foolish and takes pride in his stupidity, as he committed the disaster on his first day and then took the afternoon off. This adds an element of humor to the story and increases its reach among people.
Flibustier noted that the public's need for new and unique information makes a fake story more attractive, especially if it is presented in a simple and easy-to-understand language like English. This makes sharing the story globally easy and comprehensible to a wide audience.
He also mentioned that using the victory sign in the photo, despite it reflecting foolishness in this context, distracted people from noticing obvious flaws in the image, such as the distortion around the head. He continued by saying that people tend to believe what is funny, referencing the phrase, "I liked the information, so it's true."
Flibustier explained that one of the main reasons the fake story spread was that some people initially shared it for its humorous value, recognizing it as a joke. However, over time and with various modifications, this information can lose its humorous aspect and be perceived as factual by some.
In a previous report, Misbar outlined several other reasons why people tend to believe and accept misleading news shared on social media platforms.
Users Interaction With Fake Stories
Commenting on the reactions to his fake story, Vincent Flibustier observed three distinct categories of people who interacted with it. The first group consisted of those who recognized it as a joke and shared it because it was funny. The second group included individuals who passed it on without caring about its accuracy. The third group comprised those who genuinely believed the story to be true.
As an example of those who believed the fake stories he publishes, Flibustier mentioned receiving a death threat from a Mexican man who claimed he lost a novel he had been writing for eight years because of him.
Flibustier added, "What constantly surprises me is that it takes 10 seconds to click on my profile and my website to see that I work on fake news, yet very few people do that."
Regarding the lessons learned from his experience promoting a fake story about causing the CrowdStrike crisis, Vincent Flibustier emphasized the importance of teaching people how to critically evaluate sources and the significance of recognizing biases and verifying viral information independently, including understanding the difference between reliable sources and those that might spread misinformation.
Flibustier continued that by providing tools and knowledge, people can be helped to become discerning consumers of information, capable of distinguishing between reliable facts and fake stories.
He also advised people and social media users to have a good understanding of digital literacy. He noted that if users understand the tools or platforms they are using, they will be better able to verify the accuracy of information.
How Misinformation Affects Engagement and Account Growth
To measure the impact of misinformation and fake stories on increasing engagement and account growth, Misbar analyzed Vincent Flibustier's account on the platform X before and after he fabricated the story about causing the malfunction that paralyzed millions of Windows-operated devices worldwide.
The analysis revealed a 23 percent increase in Vincent Flibustier's followers on X within the first four days after the fake story was published. On July 19, 2024, his account had 65,129 followers, but this number surged to 80,088 within just four days of the story's release. This increase occurred despite Flibustier maintaining his usual posting frequency.
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