As missiles fall on Israel and Iran, civilians face a second battlefield: the online space. Since the beginning of Israel’s offensive, communication tools have come under increasing control - both for spying on the enemy and for suppressing dissent.
New restrictions have been imposed on the population in Israel. Meanwhile, in Iran, long accustomed to censorship, repression has reached new heights.
Social media as sources for intelligence services
During the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, one of the targets was the Nahal Oz military base. An investigation published in March revealed that the assault was made possible in part by public social media posts from soldiers themselves, which allowed Hamas to map the layout of the facility.
Since then, Israeli soldiers have been banned from taking photographs inside IDF facilities or using platforms like Facebook. The aim is to prevent enemies from building intelligence profiles. Even documenting events such as ceremonies or gatherings with civilians is now prohibited.
A Stanford University article explains how social media can offer a tactical advantage to adversaries: “The phenomenon of 'geotagging' – the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media – is particularly sensitive as it can reveal specific locations of military units or vulnerable civilian populations.” It adds that social media is a double-edged sword in modern warfare: “While it can offer a lifeline and a platform to some, it also presents a significant intelligence resource for others.”
On Wednesday, Israel’s military censor, Brigadier General Kobi Mandelblit, warned that anyone sharing details about the location of strikes — including via social media, blogs, or chat apps — must submit the content for prior review or face prosecution.
Iran is also acutely aware of these risks. On Saturday, the Revolutionary Guard issued a statement warning that any “exchange of information” perceived as aiding Israel would be met with the harshest punishment — which could include social media posts or images. Babak Kamiar, the head of Euronews' Persian desk, said that the maximum punishment indicated in the sentence is “the death penalty for sure”.
State television went so far as to urge Iranians to delete WhatsApp from their phones, claiming the app shares user data with Israel. WhatsApp denied the accusation, stating that it does not track users’ locations and that its end-to-end encryption ensures message privacy.
In 2022, Iran blocked access to WhatsApp and Google Play during nationwide protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. The apps remained unavailable for over two years, until access was restored in December 2024.
Taking the pulse of the population
Social media isn’t just a tool for spying, it also serves as a real-time political barometer. “Being able to track social media content is a very important strategic asset. It's an instant polling device, really,” Philip Seib, Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Public Diplomacy at the USC Annenberg School, told Euronews. “The public's social media can provide some hints about the intent of the population. Are they rallying around their government?”
Authorities are closely monitoring these signs. On Saturday, Israeli police arrested a man at his home after he posted an image of the Iranian flag, a salute emoji, and a message of support. By Monday, Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, vowed a zero-tolerance approach toward any “expressions of joy” over Iranian attacks on Israel.
Seib also explained how foreign governments could be watching these signs closely. “If I were Donald Trump, I’d want to monitor that situation closely. For instance, Netanyahu [the Israeli Prime Minister] might soon request more weapons resupply. But how much public support does he actually have in Israel?”
‘Truth is the first casualty of war’
Disinformation is rife online, and this conflict is no exception. Speaking to Euronews, Dr Sahar Khamis, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, said dynamics seen during the war in Gaza are playing out again – with people getting informed more on social media than by mainstream media and so being subjected to misinformation or disinformation.
“Truth is the first casualty of war,” she said. Khamis noted the use of deliberate mistranslations of Israeli leaders’ speeches, AI-generated images of missile strikes, and misleading out-of-context footage.
“Controlling the narrative is a crucial part of this conflict. Winning the information war matters almost as much as winning on the battlefield.”
During previous escalations in Gaza, Israel demonstrated its digital warfare capabilities. In 2023, its foreign ministry paid for ads using graphic content, emotive language and even AI-generated video. These campaigns blurred the line between official messaging and psychological operations. Some were removed by Google after violating rules on violent imagery.
Euronews’ Arabic team uncovered several fake narratives online — from claims of a Mossad building being bombed, to an Iranian strike on Haifa’s Bazan oil refinery, or Iranian defences downing two aircraft — all of which turned out to be video game simulations.
Iran’s solution: cutting the wire
Iran’s government has a long-standing habit of restricting internet access during periods of unrest. In 2019, it imposed a six-day nationwide blackout during mass protests, during which authorities launched a brutal crackdown that reportedly left over 100 people dead.
Since hostilities with Israel began, Iran has throttled internet speeds, leading to intermittent blackouts. On Wednesday, the country experienced a total outage lasting more than 12 hours, according to NetBlocks, a UK-based internet monitoring group.
“The government officially announced that they slowed down the internet because they want to be able to have cyber defence,” said Amir Rashidi, Director of Internet Security and Digital Rights at the Miaan Group. But he told Euronews the explanation doesn’t hold up - cyberattacks have continued regardless.
The timing is also worrying as it comes at a critical time, he added: “For exemple, people trying to find alternative routes when they want to escape look at Google Maps — but it’s not working properly. There are a lot of people lost in the middle of nowhere with no fuel or water.”
In response to the outages, Elon Musk announced on his platform X over the weekend that he had activated Starlink, his satellite internet service, in Iran to help restore connectivity.
