On Saturday, July 13th, a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Though the shooter’s motives are still unknown, the political ramifications of the attempt are spreading quickly across the internet. Images and on-the-ground reporting circulated quickly across social media platforms, as did massive amounts of false information. Tech companies are trying to curb misinformation as users scramble to find answers about what happened and why, becoming one of the largest and most urgent content moderation problems in years.
Technology
The Trump shooting: what happened and what’s next
After the assassination attempt on the former president, tech platforms scrambled to curb false information in what will be one of the largest content moderation problems in years. The Verge will be keeping up with how Meta, X, Discord, and other platforms ha…
Jul 15
Gaby Del Valle
It’s never been easier for the cops to break into your phone
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge
Just two days after the attempted assassination at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the FBI announced it “gained access†to the shooter’s phone. The bureau has not disclosed how it broke into the phone — or what has been found on it — but the speed with which it did so is significant, and security experts say it points to the increased efficacy of phone-hacking tools.
In a call with reporters on Sunday, the bureau said field agents in Pennsylvania had tried and failed to break into Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone. The device was then sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.Â
Jul 15
Mia Sato
The Trump rally shooting is a cash cow for the dropshippers
Image: The Verge
News moves fast following shocking events. But the hustlers trying to make a quick buck might move even faster.
Within hours of a shooter attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday, countless products emblazoned with an image of Trump, bloodied and fist raised, were for sale on e-commerce platforms. A shirt on Temu with an image from the rally and the words “TRUMP BULLETPROOF†is for sale for $9.59. (One person died at the rally and two were critically injured.) On Amazon, many of the top-selling men’s novelty T-shirts are nearly identical: some version of an image of Trump at the rally, alongside phrases like “FIGHT!†and “NEVER SURRENDER.â€
Jul 15
Gaby Del Valle
The FBI says it has ‘gained access’ to the Trump rally shooter’s phone
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge
The FBI has successfully broken into the phone of the man who shot at former President Donald Trump at Saturday’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“FBI technical specialists successfully gained access to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone, and they continue to analyze his electronic devices,†the agency said in a statement on Monday.
Jul 15
Mia Sato
The Trump rally shooter had a Discord account, company says
Image: The Verge
The person who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a rally on Saturday had a Discord account — though it was rarely used — according to the company.
“Discord removed the account according to our off-platform behavior policy and we are assisting law enforcement in their investigation,†Clint Smith, chief legal officer of Discord, said in an emailed statement. “The suspect’s account was rarely utilized, has not been used in months, and we have found no evidence that it was used to plan this incident, promote violence, or discuss his political views, but with the investigation ongoing, we are not able to share any additional information at this time.†Discord didn’t respond to The Verge’s questions about how it traced the account and what communities the account was part of.
Jul 15
Lauren Feiner
FBI is working to break into the phone of the Trump rally shooter
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Investigators are working to break into the phone of the man who shot at former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. The shooting is being probed as an assassination attempt.
The FBI said in a statement that it had obtained the shooter’s phone “for examination.†Officials told reporters in a conference call on Sunday, as reported by The New York Times, that agents in Pennsylvania were unable to break into the phone. It’s been shipped to the FBI’s lab in Quantico, Virginia, where the FBI hopes to get past the phone’s password protection, the Times reported.
Jul 14
Jacob Kastrenakes
Shooting conspiracies trend on X as Musk endorses Trump
Illustration: The Verge
Conspiracy theories about the shooting at a rally for Donald Trump began surfacing on X shortly after the news broke this afternoon, with the platform promoting topics including “#falseflag†and “staged†to users. X owner Elon Musk has staunchly advocated for “free speech†on social media platforms — which can include misinformation like the above.
After the shooting, Musk posted that he would “fully endorse†the former president. Bloomberg reported yesterday that Musk donated to a super PAC supporting Trump, giving a “sizable amount†to reelection efforts. Musk has taken on increasingly conservative views in recent years, promoting the “great replacement†conspiracy theory and endorsing support for white pride. His support adds to a growing rank of powerful voices in Silicon Valley that are promoting his campaign.
Jul 13
Jacob Kastrenakes
Conspiracies have immediately started trending on X.
The platform is promoting trending topics including “staged†and “#falseflag†— the kinds of conspiracy theories that other major social networks might moderate away.