The latest in a long line of US attempts at Internet-based propaganda gone wrong, the US State Department has announced that they are defunding the Iran Disinformation Project, which operates a website and a Twitter account which were intended to counter foreign propaganda.
The group had been funded through the Global Engagement Center of the
State Department, and had amassed just around 2,700 followers on Twitter
by echoing Trump Administration positions on Iran, and generally
condemning the Iranian government.
The State Department said the bulk of this was “acceptable,” but the
defunding came because of some “recent tweets” which had sparked a lot
of complaints about what they’re actually up to.
With the US building up military forces around Iran, and taking other
hawkish measures, the Twitter account was increasingly attacking critics
of US policy, accusing those who were concerned about a war of being
“stooges” for Iran.
Among those targeted was Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post, who they
accused of “ignoring abuses by Tehran” in articles opposing escalation.
Rezaian was detained within Iran as a prison for a year and a half.
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