Canada researchers reveal 'Iran-aligned' fake news campaign

Canadian researchers have unmasked a disinformation campaign with possible links to Iran that includes posing as mainstream media to spread falsehoods targeting primarily Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The University of Toronto's Citizen Lab said an "Iran-aligned" group has impersonated legitimate media outlets using copycat sites to "spread falsehoods and amplify narratives critical of Saudi Arabia, the United States and Israel."

The group, which the researchers dubbed "Endless Mayfly," would then use fake online identities to amplify the stories by tweeting about them or forwarding links to others.

Stories published in mainstream media are often picked up by other journalists.

The researchers cited as an example a 2017 Reuters story informed by a fake story purported to have been published in the Swiss newspaper The Local.

The Reuters story was picked up by Global News, The Jerusalem Post and others before it was eventually retracted by the news agency.

The Endless ...