BBC Investigation: Fake foreign networks target the Syrian state and fuel sectarianism and hate

A BBC investigation has confirmed that online media campaigns targeting the new Syrian state and inciting discord and sectarianism among the Syrian people are being coordinated and systematically run from outside Syria via millions of fake accounts using specific algorithms.

The investigation revealed that the most prominent anti-Syrian government narratives that were widely circulated included fabricated reports.
The investigation, which monitored the activity of more than two million posts related to events in Syria since the fall of the former regime was published today.It revealed networks of foreign accounts active on the X platform, working to incite sectarianism and spread hate speech, in addition to promoting misleading information about the situation in Syria.
It also indicated that these networks are being coordinated and systematically run as part of online campaigns targeting the Syrian government and some minorities, coinciding with the political changes taking place in Syria.
The investigation pointed to manipulative tactics employed by some accounts, such as activating programmed and fake accounts, exploiting algorithms to control online discourse, and common tactics such as simultaneous posting, reposting old content, and weaving fabricated narratives to influence public opinion.
It confirmed that 60 percent of these posts originated from accounts whose geographic location was identified by analysis tools outside Syria, particularly in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran.
The investigation revealed that some of these accounts post simultaneously or share the same posts at the same time, in what appears to be the use of bots or organized campaigns.
Raghda Sawas