Cyber firm uncovers Iran-run ‘fake news’ sites geared toward Israel

An Israeli cybersecurity firm announces today it has uncovered three Iran-run “fake news” accounts geared toward an Israeli audience, as well as a score of social media accounts.

ClearSky says one of the sites is the Hebrew-language Tel Aviv Times, which engages in “distorting news,” and the other two are Arabic language news outlets that promote the Islamic Republic.

It also says there are 14 fake Facebook profiles and 11 fake Twitter accounts that are part of this Iranian “infrastructure,” which have thousands of followers and between them and are still active.

According to ClearSky, the sites and accounts are part of an Iranian “worldwide disinformation infrastructure that was set up over the years by the Iranians and includes over 100 active news and media sites in 24 countries and 29 languages.”

A researcher for the firm says Iran in recent years has expanded its efforts to promote its agenda online from countries in the Middle East to any state in which it has an interest.

“In our assessment that the purpose of setting up this infrastructure is to influence public opinion in target states and likely in order to send targeted messages to activists and supporters of Iran,” the researcher says in a Hebrew-language statement.

The announcement comes after Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube shuttered hundreds of accounts last month that were allegedly tied to Iranian disinformation efforts.