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Iranian Misinformation Campaign Targeting U.S. Uncovered

Twitter and Facebook have taken down thousands of accounts linked to the Iranian government which was part of a massive misinformation campaign that targeted the U.S. midterm elections. Unlike other foreign misinformation campaigns, this one did not stop at the use of fake media outlets and fake social media accounts. This campaign also successfully utilized legitimate media outlets like the Los Angeles Times and the Times of Israel to publish columns, opinion pieces, and letters. Much of the misinformation centered around the Iranian nuclear deal, as well as anti-Saudi, anti-Israeli, and pro-Palestinian ideals. With social media outlets cracking down harder on fake social media profiles foreign actors are having to find newer and more inventive ways to spread misinformation. Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the success seen by Russia’s troll army, more cyber-actors are looking to successfully influence international affairs through misinformation campaigns

Analyst Notes

Social media and international news outlets online have made it easier for more nations to wage information warfare effectively against their adversaries making it likely that campaigns like this will only continue on all fronts while finding newer ways to covertly spread misinformation.