Essay

The Islamic Republic of Iran leverages social media manipulation to spread disinformation and to maintain its survival (Azar, 2022). According to Lipschultz, social media content can be manipulated through public relations, advertising, and marketing, ranging from subtle persuasion to manipulative propaganda. In addition, the governmental use of social media for political communication has also led to the restriction of journalist’s professionalism and the creation of new and complex roles, challenging the trustworthiness of news (Lipschultz, 2022). Moreover, trolls manipulating public opinion using short videos, memes, and deep fakes that alter the facts can spread misinformation and disinformation about health and politics, resulting in long-term psychological effects (Lipschultz, 2022). This is similar to how the Islamic Republic of Iran controls social media platforms in the country to spread fake narratives.

Since foreign journalists may not be able to enter Iran safely to report on the protests, Western audiences and the diaspora abroad must rely on unverified social media posts, first-hand accounts and the monopolistic Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) (Azar, 2022). Misinformation about Iran’s political unrest is not limited to this story; some articles cite Iranian state-controlled media and spread fake narratives with unclear origins (Azar, 2022).

As an increasingly pervasive phenomenon, social media manipulation has profoundly impacted political discourse and journalistic credibility. Unfortunately, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) is no stranger to this trend. In order to maintain its survival, the IRI utilizes social media manipulation to spread disinformation, which has significantly impacted political discourse and journalistic integrity (Azar, 2022; Lipschultz, 2022). Besides, the IRI’s control of social media platforms in Iran has made it difficult for foreign journalists to report on political protests, leaving Western audiences and the diaspora abroad to rely on unverified social media posts and Iranian state-controlled media (Azar, 2022).

Instances of fake social media accounts created by the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) to manipulate public opinion on social media discussions, especially Twitter, and spread the news in favour of its perspective are commonly known as “cyber-armies” (Doe, 2022). These cyber armies, often attributed to jailed critics of the Islamic Republic, use various strategies to manipulate social media and to silence dissidents (Kermani, 2023). According to Kermani, these strategies include the use of fake accounts, bots, and trolls. This manipulation can make it challenging for the general public to verify content, especially during chaotic situations on social media platforms where coordinated inauthentic activity is prohibited. The creation of fake accounts to promote certain narratives is a hallmark of disinformation and misinformation actors (Lawati & Ebrahim, 2022).

In this case, the harm comes when influential public figures, such as celebrities, influencers or educators, retweet the false narratives of the cyber-armies (Harff et al., 2022). With social media making it possible to provide and distribute news online rapidly and efficiently, a large amount of disinformation has been spread online, including fake news (Shu et al., 2017), which is intentional false information produced online for financial or political gain. Accordingly, influencers on social media platforms, such as Instagram, can spread misinformation and impact perceptions of news and information since they are trustworthy among their followers and are considered ordinary individuals (Harff et al., 2022).

Furthermore, fake news spreads widely through social media and can have grave consequences for individuals and society (Shu et al., 2017), especially for the younger generation (Harff et al., 2022). In addition, this generation is more likely to use social media as their primary source of news and information, making them more susceptible to misinformation and disinformation (Harff et al., 2022). Thus, since influencers can substantially influence the country’s younger generation due to their relatability factors, it is crucial to monitor and regulate the spread of false information online (Harff et al., 2022).

However, despite the manipulative tactics used by the IRI, Iranian users have demonstrated a keen ability to identify misleading hashtags and fake news, urging others not to be duped by the cyber army (Kermani, 2022). This fact demonstrates the power of public awareness and vigilance in combatting disinformation and misinformation on social media platforms.

Accordingly, addressing social media manipulation and disinformation is essential to ensure the integrity of political discourse, journalism, and public trust.