Lies, untruths, deceits
Aug 19, 2026, 08.32 AM IST
If Goebbels was alive today, he would have a field day with social media tools at our disposal. The chief Nazi propagandist was an early proponent of the ‘Big Lie’ concept – repeat a lie often enough, and it starts acquiring the illusion of truth. Social media platforms would have been his favourite playground. Case in point: the Aug 5 claim on X, from an apparently India-based handle, that found its way to Netanyahu’s speech later that very day. The content related to Iran’s IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi apparently saying Tehran wouldn’t give up its nuclear ambitions, as long as Israel and US possessed nukes. Except, per NYT, which thoroughly reviewed the claim, it was all fake.
The fake content went viral, especially after it was picked up by Israeli accounts, and was ultimately shared by Netanyahu’s son, Israeli and US mainstream media, and even US’s ambassador to UN, Mike Waltz. But here’s the real trick – the dubious claim essentially catalysed confirmation bias among those who already wanted to push the Iran nuke narrative. Of course, this tactic isn’t new. Implanting fake news in information streams to stimulate certain outcomes has had devastating consequences. Recall the dodgy dossier – a plagiarised, misrepresented PhD thesis – that had been used by US & UK to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq on the pretext of WMDs. Or the 2017 hacking of Qatar’s state news agency that implanted a fake story, claiming Qatar’s Emir had praised Iran and criticised US policy, that led to Qatar’s blockade by four Arab countries.
The possibilities of such mischief today have further multiplied given the advent of new technologies. From tools like Pegasus to sophisticated deepfakes, cyberspace is a new, constantly evolving battleground. A fringe statement on social media can be magnified by bots in hours. Fake narratives can be imparted with an aura of authenticity, through repeated sharing. Guarding against such malicious tactics requires smart vigilance, and large-scale training to spot misinformation. It’s an increasingly complicated world. And India, given its massive digital population, but with low digital literacy, should be particularly careful of dangerous fake news.
The fake content went viral, especially after it was picked up by Israeli accounts, and was ultimately shared by Netanyahu’s son, Israeli and US mainstream media, and even US’s ambassador to UN, Mike Waltz. But here’s the real trick – the dubious claim essentially catalysed confirmation bias among those who already wanted to push the Iran nuke narrative. Of course, this tactic isn’t new. Implanting fake news in information streams to stimulate certain outcomes has had devastating consequences. Recall the dodgy dossier – a plagiarised, misrepresented PhD thesis – that had been used by US & UK to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq on the pretext of WMDs. Or the 2017 hacking of Qatar’s state news agency that implanted a fake story, claiming Qatar’s Emir had praised Iran and criticised US policy, that led to Qatar’s blockade by four Arab countries.
The possibilities of such mischief today have further multiplied given the advent of new technologies. From tools like Pegasus to sophisticated deepfakes, cyberspace is a new, constantly evolving battleground. A fringe statement on social media can be magnified by bots in hours. Fake narratives can be imparted with an aura of authenticity, through repeated sharing. Guarding against such malicious tactics requires smart vigilance, and large-scale training to spot misinformation. It’s an increasingly complicated world. And India, given its massive digital population, but with low digital literacy, should be particularly careful of dangerous fake news.