Internet

Fake missiles, fake deaths: AI is rewriting Israel's war reality

As the Israel–Iran war unfolds, another battle is playing out online, with AI-generated images and videos blurring the line between fact and fiction.

 An emergency responder inspects a house that was destroyed by an Iranian ballistic missile strike on March 13, 2026 in Israel.
A protester holds a placard about the internet blackout in Iran during a demonstration outside Downing Street against the Islamic Republic and calling for Reza Pahlavi to take over as King of Iran, as the Iran war escalates on March 14, 2026.

Iran nears three weeks offline as regime braces for renewed demonstrations

Israel Police vehicles; illustrative.

Israel Police, State Attorney arrest 19-year-old for indecent acts against minors online

A Jin Chiang (PG-610) navy ship returns to base in Keelung, Taiwan July 9, 2025.

The self-deceiving political manipulation of Taiwan’s DPP must end - opinion


Iranian merchants have 20 minutes of supervised internet access per day for transactions - report

The president of the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Majidreza Hariri, said Iranian merchants have only 20 minutes per day, according to a report by Iran International.

A man walks on a street in Tehran, Iran, January 24, 2026.

Khamenei issued no mercy, 'shoot to kill' orders to quell protests across Iran - NYT

According to the officials, security forces were then deployed to the streets with "shoot to kill" orders and told to show protesters no mercy. 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran January 3, 2026.

Iran may have slaughtered 30,000 protesters in 48-hour intense crackdown - report

If the estimates are true, the only comparable massacre in history databases would be the murder of 33,000 Jews in the Babyn Yar massacre during the Holocaust outside of Kyiv in 1941.

Fires are lit as protesters rally on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Internet restoration in Iran begins as rights groups warn of deepening crisis

NetBlocks, a privately held global internet monitor, also claimed that there were signs of "an attempt to generate false traffic and manufacture narratives of a wider restoration."

An Iranian living in Japan, with taped mouth and carrying a sign, marches in support of nationwide protests in Iran, in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2026.

WATCH: Pahlavi announces six demands for int'l community, Iranian diaspora to support protesters

Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi outlined six key demands to rally global support for Iranian activists and protesters, urging a coordinated international effort to weaken the regime.

Anti-Iranian regime protesters in Paris, France, hold banners, including of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi over a background with the Pahlavi royal crest, reading "FREE IRAN," January 18, 2026.

Microsoft 365 down for thousands of users, Downdetector shows

There were nearly 3,960 incidents of users reporting issues with Microsoft 365 as of 6:03 p.m. ET, down from over 15,880 reports earlier, according to Downdetector.

File photo of a Microsoft logo on an office building in New York

Ms. Rachel appears to support antisemitic conspiracy theory in apology post

"I'm a human who makes mistakes. I would never agree with an antisemitic thing like the comment,” internet personality and early education creator Rachel Accurso said.

Ms. Rachel attends the Sesame Workshop 2024 Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 29, 2024 in New York City

Iran using internet blackout to isolate families amid protests, rights group tells 'Post'

Iran is "trying to prevent the only way that people get information from outside Iran, which is the satellite dishes…they're bringing those down as well," Rahmani told The Jerusalem Post.

People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Iran's internet to return to normal by Friday, official announces

Afshin declared that "by order of the president, nationwide internet access will be restored from today to tomorrow and at the latest by the end of the week," which in Iran is on Friday.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looks on, in a televised message following the Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025.

Iran projects normalcy amid internet blackout, claims protesters were 'armed aggressors'

NetBlocks reported that at hour 238 of the digital blackout, there was a “significant return to some online services, including Google, suggesting that heavily filtered access has been enabled.”

People walk in Tehran Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, January 15, 2026