Network of Scottish X accounts go dark amid Iran blackout
A network of pro‑Scottish independence accounts on X abruptly went silent during Iran’s recent internet blackout, prompting claims they are part of an Iranian state-linked influence operation. Commenters debate what such low-reach but persistent campaigns are really for — from stoking separatism in the UK or shaping US perceptions of Europe, to simply adding noise and undermining trust in all information (“firehose of falsehood”). The conversation broadens into concerns about ubiquitous bot activity, the difficulty of attributing propaganda in an era of commercial disinfo firms, and proposals ranging from stricter identity verification to chronological, non-algorithmic feeds as countermeasures.
Who is being targeted and why?
- Commenters debate whether such obviously absurd posts (“tanks on the Royal Mile”, “Balmoral seized”) are meant for Scots at all.
- Proposed target groups:
- Scots, to inflame nationalism or stir internal UK division and potential violence.
- Foreign audiences (especially Americans) to reinforce narratives that the UK/Europe are chaotic, authoritarian “hellholes”.
- General “conspiracy‑prone” users, not the average citizen.
Effectiveness and style of the disinfo
- Many argue the specific claims are too ridiculous to sway normal Scots, but others note:
- Even fringe believers can matter if they act violently or amplify content.
- The goal may be not persuasion on one issue but saturating the infosphere so people give up on knowing what’s true (“epistemological bankruptcy”).
- Some point out these accounts also posted more plausible, banal pro‑independence content to build credibility, with the wild stuff as occasional spikes.
Geopolitics, Scotland, and foreign interests
- Several see this as classic “divide and weaken” information warfare: push both nationalist and unionist extremes so the UK spends energy on internal conflict.
- Speculation about motives includes:
- Undermining UK stability, nuclear posture, and Scotland’s role in North Atlantic defence.
- A (disputed) theory that Scottish independence could disrupt the UK’s UN Security Council status.
- Others note Scotland’s actual EU / trade / fiscal realities, stressing that foreign agitators can only exploit pre‑existing, genuine debates.
Bots, sockpuppets, and the “firehose of falsehood”
- Multiple comments connect this to broader Russian/Iranian (and Western) “firehose of falsehood” tactics: vast volumes of low‑quality, contradictory propaganda to exhaust critical thinking.
- Others suggest many such accounts may be profit‑seeking scammers (e.g., building engagement to pivot to crypto or ads) who sometimes double as tolerated state proxies.
Skepticism about sources and narratives
- Some are wary that the investigation itself relies on a commercial disinfo‑analysis firm with its own clients and agendas.
- A minority view the entire framing as part of anti‑Iran propaganda, noting current geopolitical tensions.
Broader social media and platform design issues
- Long subthreads generalize to:
- How easy it is for states and scammers to run influence ops on X/Reddit/Facebook.
- Proposals for strong ID verification or location disclosure versus anonymity and privacy.
- Concerns that HN and other forums also host sockpuppets and nudging campaigns, though some moderators claim inauthentic actors are detectable over time.