Battles Over Truth Rage Online Amid Iranβs Internet Blackout NYT: Technology By:Steven Lee Myers Β· Tiffany Hsu and Stuart A. Thompson 16 January 2026 at 13:23 The shutdown of online discourse within Iran has allowed both the government and its critics to flood social media outside the country with disinformation campaigns and fake images. Β© via Associated PressA frame grab from footage circulating on social media showing protesters dancing and cheering in Tehran last week.