Alberto Fittarelli
@fittarelli.com
Sr. Researcher @citizenlab.ca, Disinformation & Harassment. Fmr. Meta. Trainer: find & expose covert influence. I like doers.
16/ Read @haaretzcom.bsky.social ‘s own investigation on PRISONBREAK and other influence operations with an Israeli nexus here.
Reporting by Gur Megiddo and Omer Benjakob.
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Reporting by Gur Megiddo and Omer Benjakob.
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The Israeli influence operation in Iran pushing to reinstate the shah monarchy
Citizen Lab Found That an Online Network Pushed Out Deepfake Videos During Israel's Airstrikes on Tehran's Evin Prison. An Investigation by TheMarker and Haaretz Reveals the Persian-language Online Ca...
www.haaretz.com
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
16/ Read @haaretzcom.bsky.social ‘s own investigation on PRISONBREAK and other influence operations with an Israeli nexus here.
Reporting by Gur Megiddo and Omer Benjakob.
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Reporting by Gur Megiddo and Omer Benjakob.
/END
15/ At the moment of publishing this, several PRISONBREAK profiles continue to be active. We notified X prior to publication - but got no reply.
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
15/ At the moment of publishing this, several PRISONBREAK profiles continue to be active. We notified X prior to publication - but got no reply.
14/ So - who’s behind PRISONBREAK? We analytically weighed multiple hypotheses. The one most consistent with the available evidence is that the Israeli gov, directly or through a contractor, conducted the operation. Alternatively, but less likely, the US gov could be responsible for it.
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
14/ So - who’s behind PRISONBREAK? We analytically weighed multiple hypotheses. The one most consistent with the available evidence is that the Israeli gov, directly or through a contractor, conducted the operation. Alternatively, but less likely, the US gov could be responsible for it.
13/ Finally, we noticed PRISONBREAK consistently promoting and interacting with an account named “تلآویو تهران” (Tel Aviv Tehran), which used an AI-generated persona to spread content very similar to the IO’s one. Including another AI-made “Evin Prison” video.
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
13/ Finally, we noticed PRISONBREAK consistently promoting and interacting with an account named “تلآویو تهران” (Tel Aviv Tehran), which used an AI-generated persona to spread content very similar to the IO’s one. Including another AI-made “Evin Prison” video.
12/ Another tactic used by PRISONBREAK was the creation of fake content (and fake links) attributed to inexistent news reports, claiming that the outlets had removed them quickly after posting them. This echoed something we @citizenlab.ca had already seen as used… by Iran. Remember Endless Mayfly?
Burned After Reading: Endless Mayfly’s Ephemeral Disinformation Campaign - The Citizen Lab
Using Endless Mayfly as an illustration, this highlights the challenges of investigating & addressing disinformation from research & policy perspectives.
citizenlab.ca
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
12/ Another tactic used by PRISONBREAK was the creation of fake content (and fake links) attributed to inexistent news reports, claiming that the outlets had removed them quickly after posting them. This echoed something we @citizenlab.ca had already seen as used… by Iran. Remember Endless Mayfly?
11/ We have many more examples in the report. But one that’s worth highlighting here is the creation of a whole videoclip for “Baraye”, an Iranian protest anthem. The catch? The lyrics were changed to a direct call for uprising; and the video is a (poorly made) deepfake of 3 known Iranian singers.
October 3, 2025 at 3:32 AM
11/ We have many more examples in the report. But one that’s worth highlighting here is the creation of a whole videoclip for “Baraye”, an Iranian protest anthem. The catch? The lyrics were changed to a direct call for uprising; and the video is a (poorly made) deepfake of 3 known Iranian singers.