Iran internet blackout has fueled disinformation campaigns abroad

The shutdown of internet and cellular communications inside Iran has coincided with a surge of propaganda, disinformation and influence campaigns on social media outside the country, researchers and analysts said. Experts have identified inauthentic accounts and bots on platforms such as X and Instagram that have spread false and conflicting narratives, misleading or A.I.-generated images and repurposed video.

Much of the online content has sought to bolster the opposition — including by championing Reza Pahlavi — while other accounts have echoed Tehran’s claims that the unrest was driven by the United States and Israel. "The conditions are ideal for actors attempting to exploit the internet shutdown to reshape narratives and public opinion concerning Iran," Layla Mashkoor of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab said.

Researchers cautioned that multiple coordinated campaigns have been identified but that attribution is often uncertain. A Citizen Lab report in October concluded that a network of more than 50 inauthentic X profiles was organized by the Israeli government or a subcontractor, and the National Iranian American Council’s 2022 review similarly attributed coordinated manipulation to Israeli-linked activity.

Golden Owl reported two Iranian campaigns on X with more than 4,700 accounts pushing pro-government content.

Key Topics

World, Iran, Reza Pahlavi, Internet Blackout, Disinformation, Bots