Twitter boosted Pentagon propaganda efforts in the Middle East, files show

Twitter has allowed the Defense Department to use the social media platform to carry out a covert online propaganda and influence campaign for at least the last five years, the latest “Twitter Files” revealed Tuesday.

At the behest of the US military, the social media giant verified and “whitelisted” accounts affiliated with US Central Command in a bid to shape public opinion in countries including Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Kuwait.

The campaign was uncovered by reporter Lee Fang of The Intercept, who said that he was allowed to make unrestricted requests for internal Twitter documents over three days last week.  

Twitter executives have long claimed that the company targets and deletes secretly operated government accounts that try to spread favorable geopolitical narratives.