Donald Trump // © AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin
However, the post turned out to be a satirical hoax and had no connection to official White House statements.
The video appeared on a parody account
As fact-checkers determined, the video was posted by the account @UsArmyspoof_, which describes itself as satirical. Later, other users began sharing the post, including using images and video footage generated by artificial intelligence.
The viral posts claimed that Trump had stated: “Starting today, the U.S. controls the servers of all major social media platforms. Any country that refuses to pay a monthly ‘digital rent’ will lose access to the internet.”
This was followed by an alleged response from the European Union regarding a violation of international law and a new remark from Trump threatening to shut down Google Maps in Europe.
Verification showed that Donald Trump did not make any such statements. They are not found on official White House resources, in the U.S. president’s posts, or in the transcripts of his public speeches.
Real Disagreements Amplified the Effect
According to fact-checking experts, the authors of the post exploited real disagreements between the U.S. and the EU regarding the regulation of digital platforms, the requirements of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, as well as discussions about the influence of American tech companies.
It was precisely this context that made the satirical video seem more credible to part of the audience.
Experts note that such cases demonstrate the growing risks of using artificial intelligence technologies to create content that outwardly resembles real statements by politicians. Even if a post is intended as a parody from the outset, when widely circulated, it can be perceived as credible news.
