Report: Iran Using Social Media ‘Bots’ to Downplay Protests

Demonstrators of the National Council of Resistance of Iran protest near the Iran's embass
AP/Christophe Ena
Adelle Nazarian

Anti-regime Iranians intent on seeing the dismantling of Iran’s Islamic regime have gone to war against pro-regime loyalists over social media, reportedly using bots to saturate Twitter and Instagram with propaganda against those seeking true democracy and freedom.

According to the BBC, the regime and its loyalists created dozens—if not hundreds—of “Twitter bots whose job ranged from calling widely shared videos of rallies fake to discouraging potential protesters from joining rallies.” The BBC noted that “the accounts have no more than a handful of followers, which happen to be similar bot accounts.”

One such account tweeted, “I’ve just arrived and no one is here. Why are you lying?”

As tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets throughout various cities in Iran to call for an end to Iran’s regime, Tehran’s central government has attempted to crush the movement by spreading propaganda to counter the movement.

The regime reportedly deployed thousands of people to hold pro-government rallies across Iran last week. While anti-regime protesters shouted slogans such as “Death to the Dictator” and “Death to Rouhani,” pro-regime plants chanted, “Death to American mercenaries.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s Broadcasting (IRIB) has shown scenes of its loyalists roaming through the streets strutting pro-regime flags and uttering favorable slogans into the homes of millions of Iranians. These individuals have also carried signs loyal to the Iranian regime and chanted, “The blood in our veins is a gift to our leader” and “We will not leave our leader alone.” The loyalists shouted their support for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who the day before blamed the protests on outside agitators.

President Donald Trump must decide by this Friday whether he will decertify the Iran nuclear Deal (JCPOA).

Everyday Iranians pushed forward, calling for the fall of the regime using social media to portray the truth:

Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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