For subscribers
Battles over truth rage online amid Iran’s internet blackout
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
There has been a deluge of propaganda, disinformation and influence campaigns from countries or parties trying to shape the outcome of the conflict.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Steven Lee Myers, Tiffany Hsu and Stuart A. Thompson
Follow topic:
The internet blackout in Iran has staunched the flow of reliable information about the political unrest roiling the country. Filling the void has been a deluge of propaganda, disinformation and influence campaigns from countries or parties trying to shape the outcome of the conflict.
Inauthentic accounts online – also known as bots – have spread false and conflicting narratives on X, Instagram and other social media platforms in recent days, according to several experts in disinformation flow and the Iranian information ecosystem. The bots have shared misleading or artificially generated photographs and videos, further muddling what is actually happening on the ground.
