The work of FakeReporter, a disinformation and misinformation watchdog, has had an outsized impact both inside of Israel as well as internationally. The organization managed to debunk multiple far-right propaganda campaigns, uncover extremists’ plans to attack the West Bank Palestinian village of Huwara (before the police!), and exposed Iranian influence in Israeli social media. In Israel and the U.S., media sources are turning to FakeReporter for credible information. For example, CNN did a major investigative piece on the settler attacks on Huwara that heavily cited FakeReporter, and NPR did a standalone story on FakeReporter and its dedication to truth-telling in the wake of October 7.
The rapid increase in the volume of disinformation and AI-generated deep fakes circulating online and false reports being used to incite violence has presented novel problems in the digital space. Recently, FakeReporter took on a new challenge: an AI chatbot programmed to spit out hasbara—that is, stick up for Israel no matter what and parrot government talking points—went rogue on social media. Instead of emphasizing the human toll that October 7 took on Israeli lives, the bot began denying the violent incidents against Israelis that day. Instead of defending Israel’s policies in the West Bank as necessary for Israel’s security, the bot began, referring to Israel as an apartheid state. It went so far as to call IDF soldiers “white colonizers” and argue with the State of Israel’s official Twitter account. FakeReporter uncovered the AI bot’s strange turn, and its findings were published in a magazine-length article in Haaretz. That story of a chatbot turning on its creators tells us something new about the information available in our digital environment—and tells us we need to be vigilant in a new way.
FakeReporter also recently partnered with the tech industry to launch something they’re calling Digital Dome. Digital Dome is a centralized platform where data on incitement, racism, and disinformation coming from multiple reporting sources get aggregated into one place, increasing visibility and accessibility. When individuals fill out a form on the Digital Dome website to submit reports of incitement, violence, racism, baseless lies, etc., they give Digital Dome the data they need to identify and successfully shut down dozens of accounts and posts that spread dangerous misinformation online.
Even before October 7, FakeReporter was closely monitoring extremist activities on social media, demanding accountability and a safer space online, and responding to crises in real time. During the judicial overhaul protests, the information FakeReporter collected and published on plans by right-wing groups to attack pro-democracy protesters received so much exposure that the Israeli police had to send additional forces to keep protestors safe and Netanyahu himself had to issue a condemnation of violent actors at the protest. And in advance of Jerusalem’s Pride Parade in 2023, FakeReporter revealed threats of anti-gay violence made by members of the far-right Lehava organization. In response, the police deployed more than 2,000 officers across the route of the Jerusalem Pride Parade, which proceeded without incident.
FakeReporter takes a three pronged approach. First, countering disinformation and incitement in Israel. Second, exposing its perpetrators to the media. Finally, they fill in gaps the police and security sometimes miss. In each of these ways, this organization is helping Israelis—and all of us—access the truth. This is why we support them: to protect everyone’s integrity, to combat extremism, and to make Israel (including its digital space) a place that is safe and equal for all.