Summary
Jarrod Fidden, an Australian entrepreneur living in Ireland behind a conspiracy-themed dating app, now runs Wide Awake Media, a major climate denial account on X (formerly Twitter).
With over 500,000 followers, including high-profile figures, the account spreads anti-climate and conspiracy narratives while monetizing its content.
Experts note the platform’s lax policies under Elon Musk enable such accounts to thrive in echo chambers of disinformation.
Wide Awake Media exemplifies how conspiracists pivot to climate denial for relevance and profit, as climate disinformation continues to grow alongside rising awareness of the climate crisis.
So Jarrod Fidden is behind the account. But let’s also acknowledge the full influence of Elon Musk in this too. The article hints at that. But Musk has a bigger hand than many acknowledge. It’s not only the lax moderation policies he’s imposed. His shitty, politically-driven, right-wing evangelizing and misinformation has emboldened and drawn in assholes like Fidden and ramped up their misinformation.
It’s really amazing that a guy who thinks it’s his duty to impregnate women constantly doesn’t seem to give a shit about their future.
It’s all consistent with only caring about himself and his ego.