Minutes after Donald Trump announced a “major combat operation” against Iran, disinformation flooded X, with misleading claims about the attack’s scale and location. WIRED reviewed numerous posts on the platform, noting that some videos were either outdated or misattributed. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, X has become rife with disinformation, particularly during significant global events.
Most viral posts analyzed were from blue check-mark accounts, indicating they pay for X’s premium service. Some posts contain community notes attempting to correct the misinformation, but these often remain visible, raising concerns about their reach before corrections are made. For instance, one viral video falsely claimed to show ballistic missiles over Dubai, while it actually depicted missiles fired at Tel Aviv months earlier.
Another popular clip purported to show an Israeli jet being shot down, yet there were no credible reports confirming such an event. Many accounts, including some pro-Iranian ones, incorrectly claimed successful strikes against Israel, with certain misleading images accruing significant views before being deleted. Additionally, a pro-Trump account shared a misleading before-and-after image of a palace related to the Iranian Supreme Leader, garnering hundreds of thousands of views despite inaccuracies.
Overall, the disinformation on X during this critical event highlights a troubling trend of propaganda and misinformation on the platform.
