'Jimmy Carter passed away' turns out to be social 'experiment': Fake news alert

The news that former US President Jimmy Carter has passed away was false said a Carter Center spokesperson. The fake news was "was an experiment to see how gullible people are to sensationalist headlines," according to the person who made the post.

“This is false. There has been no announcement or change,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

The initial appearance of the fabricated letter image can be traced back to a post on X, where clicking "ALT" on the screen reveals text claiming the former president "is still alive" and the letter was a test to gauge people's susceptibility to sensationalist headlines. This case has sparked significant public interest, with Google Trends showing a sharp increase in searches related to Jimmy Carter's death.

“I created it last night. The amount of misinformation which spread throughout the weekend surrounding the state of President Biden’s health was maddening.… I wanted to prove that many people on X often spread sensationalist news and headlines without actually fact checking or double checking the source content,” the owner of the account told Reuters.

“I have no ill will towards President Carter and his family, and I admire him greatly for his service to our nation and efforts to promote democracy around the world,” they added.

The screenshot of a letter was widely shared on Tuesday that said, "Former President Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.), a passionate champion of human rights, democracy, WWII veteran and 39th President of the United States passed away Tuesday, July 23 at 1:34am at his home in Plains, Georgia at the age of 99."

The letter further said that Carter "died peacefully, with family by his side." The case continues to draw significant attention, as reflected in the latest spikes on Google Trends, indicating widespread public curiosity and concern regarding Jimmy Carter's health.

The letter, however, is not available on the Carter Center's website or its social media platforms.

(This is a top story on Google Trends)