At a special January 2026 session of the Knesset Science and Technology Committee focused on AI-driven influence operations ahead of the 2026 elections, ISOC-IL played a key role in providing real-world evidence of the urgent need for global social media and digital platforms to ensure users’ safety and security. Edan Ring, (VP of Community Affairs, ISOC-IL) and Dr. Asaf Wiener (VP of Research and Public Policy), warned that AI-enabled fraud and influence campaigns are already taking place in Israel, including deepfake videos impersonating government ministers to promote financial schemes.
- Dr. Asaf Wiener (VP of Research & Public Policy) and Edan Ring (VP of Community Affairs) present ISOC-IL data on AI-driven influence campaigns in advance of upcoming elections
Drawing on ISOC-IL’s day-to-day work and in-depth research, Ring stressed that these campaigns are happening here and now, and are neither distant threats nor theoretical scenarios. He noted ongoing foreign involvement in Israeli online spaces, and highlighted ISOC-IL’s recognized role as a trusted reporting body for platforms, with its Internet Safety Hotline submitting approximately 5,000 reports to platforms over the past year alone.
ISOC-IL also pointed to insufficient preparedness and transparency by major platforms during high-risk periods in Israel. For instance, the crisis response centers promised in the past by Meta as a solution are not meaningfully equipped to address local risks, as long as their staff members lack knowledge of the Hebrew and Arabic languages and have no deep understanding of the Israeli context. In other countries, platforms provide clearer information about their election preparations, staffing, and financial investment into resources meant to mitigate election-related manipulation–standards that should also be expected in Israel.
ISOC-IL’s presentation highlighted the need to move beyond general statements toward clear, practical action, noting that platforms already have the technical tools capable of identifying and stopping repeated influence campaigns, if these tools are used consistently and transparently.
The broader discussion included input from the Central Elections Committee, security agencies, platform representatives, and researchers, addressing legal limitations, international examples, and the evolving use of AI in influence operations. Against this backdrop, ISOC-IL’s remarks underscored the value of civil society expertise and ongoing monitoring in efforts to protect electoral integrity and public trust in the digital space.
Read the full brief submitted by ISOC-IL to the Committee, including documentation, analysis, and insights on AI-driven influence campaigns in general, and leading up to elections in particular (in Hebrew):