Amidst the Iran protests and an internet blackout, AI-generated videos are spreading misinformation on social media platforms like X and TikTok. These videos, some depicting false street signs and other fabricated events, are gaining significant views and highlighting the challenges of verifying information in a crisis.
TEHRAN, IRAN - JANUARY 8: Fires are lit as protesters rally on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change.
A viral video circulating on X appears to depict a protester in Iran renaming a street to “Trump Street.” The video is, of course, completely fake and represents a new trend in the Iran protests as misinformation fills the news void caused by the internet blackout.For the uninitiated, the Iran protests have evolved from demands for economic reform to a direct challenge to the clerical regime's rule. In response, the government has killed thousands of protesters and enforced a total communication blackout. Because of this Iran internet blackout, some bad actors are filling the news void with AI-generated misinformation.t, a popular video shows shows a man wiping a sign that reads “Trump Street” in English and gibberish Persian characters. Below the text, a globe symbol is accompanied only by the letter “S.” After 'cleaning’ the sign, the man salutes a chanting crowd. The video has been viewed over 94,000 times. NewsGuard analyzed the footage using IdentifyAI, which confirmed it was fake. Even without AI analysis tech, it’s obviously a fabrication. The Persian is gibberish according to Google Translate. The inexplicable, sole letter “S” is a giveaway, but most damning is the ghostly white watermark at the bottom that explicitly says “AI-generated.” This video, posted on X, of the Iran protests depicting protestors erecting a "Trump Street" sign is completely fake.Despite its own watermark, that didn’t stop the poster—Mila Joy—whose bio encourages people to follow her for breaking news and states she is “politically conservative” and “MAGA,” from sharing the video to her 479,200 followers.The video credits TikTok account “@pupio_official,” which also shared a video showing three street signs with the name “Trump” on them, picking up 12,100 views in four days. This, too, is fake and is clearly labeled as having “AI generated content.” The "Trump Street" clip is not an isolated incident. NewsGuard says it has found seven AI-generated videos—produced by pro- and anti-government sources—that have garnered 3.5 million views. One widespread clip shows women protesters destroying a Basij van. Posted by@alkatab83, the caption reads: “Free Iranian women are smashing the wheels of the Basij militia. By God, these women are braver and more honorable than the… militias loyal to Khamenei’s regime.” This was viewed 719,600 times in one day. The Iran protests internet blackout has created a void for news that is being filled with AI-generated misinformation shared on TikTok, X, and elsewhere. Be weary and scrutinize any videos coming out of Iran, especially those clearly labelled with an “AI-generated” watermark.
Iran Protests Misinformation AI-Generated Content Internet Blackout Social Media
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