Fact check: How do I spot propaganda?

The 2026 US-Iran war was not just fought on the battlefield, but also across social media.

AI-generated animations inspired by "The Lego Movie" showcased Iran's military power, while another animated video depicted a supersized version of US Vice President JD Vance rampaging through Tehran like Godzilla.

Accounts sharing this kind of content have amassed millions of views and offer a powerful example of propaganda in the age of artificial intelligence.

They also illustrate how propaganda, while far from a new phenomenon, continues to evolve alongside technology.

DW Fact check offers tips to help you navigate today's information landscape.

Propaganda is often described as the deliberate use of information by governments, politicians and other actors to shape people’s beliefs, attitudes or behavior.

It relies on the selective presentation of information, emphasizing certain facts while omitting or misrepresenting others.

Propaganda is not only deployed by authoritarian countries like Russia, China and North Korea; it can be found all over the world.