A day before Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark was crowned Miss Universe 2024, a viral post alleged X, owned by Elon Musk, had changed its like button for the pageant. The X user, Has Trey Jinxed Someone, alleged the like button changed to a blue flaming heart whenever clicked. The user posted the image of the blue flaming heart beside a video of the beauty pageant.
The caption on the post, with 2.9 million views, said:
“It’s real—it actually happened! Elon Musk has changed the like button just for Miss Universe.”
The claim comes days after several social media users alleged Musk changed X's 'like button' for the US presidential election. Users claimed that when clicked, the like button transformed into a ballot box animation featuring the American flag. However, several publications confirmed that the like button had not changed.
Similarly, it appears the viral post claiming Musk had changed the like button for the Miss Universe pageant is false. The image stemmed from a May 2024 Hashmojis post that said the like button for German users would change into a flaming blue heart for Banishers.
Elon Musk did not change X’s like button for the Miss Universe pageant
Despite the post alleging Musk changed X’s like button for the Miss Universe pageant being false, the erroneous claim began circulating on X, with another user spreading inaccurate messages and driving user engagement.
On November 16, after Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark was crowned Miss Universe 2024, social media user Suresh Maurya shared the same post, amassing over 200K views. Several thrilled social media users, who believed in the inaccurate claim that Musk had changed the like button for the pageant, rushed to try it out to no avail.
A disappointed social media user lamented:
“Nothing happened.”
Another irate social media user, upon discovering the inaccuracy of the claim, said:
“@elonmusk blocked this one for lies.”
Meanwhile, during the G20 social event, Brazil's First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, criticized billionaire Musk months after he ignored court orders to block accounts spreading misinformation. The criticism comes months after X was suspended in Brazil over Musk’s failure to respond to the court summons in the country. The ban was lifted in October.
During her G20 speech, highlighting the importance of regulating social media to curb fake news, Silva said, “I think it’s Elon Musk. I’m not afraid of you,” when her words were interrupted after a ship’s horn blared in the background.
In response, Elon Musk took to X and wrote
Trending
"They are going to lose the next election.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Kjær Theilig made history after she became the first Dane to win the competition.
Reply
