About The Online Activists Who Push Conspiracy Theories On Syria

Propaganda and misinformation have become a crucial part of the war in Syria. Regularly, many people hear different kinds of news, and they often do not know what to believe.

The Russian- and Iranian-backed regime of Bashar al Assad is relying on propaganda channels, especially on social media like Facebook and Twitter.

This BBC piece highlights some of the leading pro-Assad figures. Mostly, their true identity is unknown.

A good example for that is the profile that goes under the name of "Sarah Abdallah". Abdallah has more than 125,000 followers. Among them are more than 250 journalists from mainstream media outlets. 

As the piece describes:

"In addition to pictures of herself, Sarah Abdallah tweets constant pro-Russia and pro-Assad messages, with a dollop of retweeting mostly aimed at attacking Barack Obama, other US Democrats and Saudi Arabia."

Abdallah calls herself an "Independent Lebanese geopolitical commentator". However, you cannot find much about her apart from Twitter.

But her account is, according to a recent study by the online research firm Graphika, one of the most influential social media accounts in the online conversation about Syria, and specifically in pushing misinformation about regime massacres and the White Helmets. 

People like me who question her narratives are regularly being blocked. 

However, there is no doubt that accounts like hers are influencing the Syria discourse heavily.