Disinformation Resilience Israel (DRI) Project
The Israel-Iran war that broke out in June 2025 sparked an unprecedented wave of online disinformation. In this unstable information environment, fact-checking organizations around the world worked to verify false or misleading claims and provide the public with reliable information. This study examines the information environment and fact-checking efforts during the 12 days of the war. By analyzing 592 fact-checks published by 50 organizations in 17 languages during the war, the study maps both the false content disseminated during the war and the activities of fact-checking organizations around the world.
The study’s findings demonstrate the visual nature of false content in war and the growing role of artificial intelligence in the production of disinformation. In the analysis of the content reviewed by the fact-checkers, “Ballistic Disinformation” stood out in particular – false information that aims to amplify the dimensions of destruction, highlight real damage and enhance images of a powerful military force. The study contributes to the understanding of the global and Israeli field of fact-checking, and offers insights into the mode of activity in the field, the actors active in it and the characteristics of the language and global deployment of their actions, and reveals important insights into disinformation in times of war.
This study was carried out as part of the Disinformation Resilience in Israel (DRI) project, which aims to provide a comprehensive response to the spread of misleading and false information online, led by the Israeli Internet Association (ISOC-IL) and supported by the European Union. The project aims to strengthen Israeli society’s resilience against misleading and false information by improving the capabilities.
Research and report writing: Nitsan Yasur, Yael Ram, Edan Ring
Data analysis: Dr. Ofir Stegman
Research assistant: Nadav Prager
Assistance in data collection: Gil Feldman, Inbar Yasur, and the Scooper staff
Editing (Hebrew): Havatzelet Shapira
Translation: R. Hochman
Design: Studio Lee & Tamar