Two weeks before the October 7th massacre, a report by the US State Department was published explaining why social networks are a security threat to the US and its allies. "Beijing has invested billions of dollars in building an ecosystem where messages and disinformation from the People's Republic of China gain prominence and dominance," the US administration stated.
In other words, the US claims that various countries and parties have turned Facebook's algorithm, as well as that of other social networks, into a powerful weapon and an integral and significant part of the ongoing power struggles in the world.
Documentation from a terrorist's camera.
They documented it themselves, and then managed to convince that it was a fake // Photo: from the social networks
Social networks live and make a living from extreme and polarizing content, which by their nature gets higher exposure.
Accordingly, countries set up networks of fake bots and profiles, which on command share contents of psychological warfare and engage in awareness and influence operations - and you have an additional front for all matters.
The 20th anniversary of the founding of Facebook is a good time for self-reflection, not only in the US but also here. From the Israeli perspective, we also find ourselves in the center of this battlefield. After two decades of activity, it can be said that our enemies use social networks in general, and Facebook In particular, very effectively to harm Israel's security.
Wandering through Facebook with critical eyes may reveal our "local" bots, promoting messages aimed at dividing the nation.
These are usually profiles that are several months old or a year or two years old, some of which upload an unreasonable amount of posts every day and some of which write in vulgar language due to the use of Google Translate.
Posts published on Facebook by charitable organizations defined by Israel as helping Hamas.
The evidence is online - but the supervisory authorities ignored it, photo: from Facebook
At the beginning of 2023, the Shin Bet revealed that foreign parties had set up fake profiles on social networks and promoted polarizing content and conspiracy theories to the Israeli public. At the same time, it was revealed that Iran is the one behind Facebook groups such as "The Hunters", "Bringing Them Home Now", "Gush Katif Returning Home" " and more.
On the seventh of October, a leap of faith took place, when it was evident that foreign countries and parties had prepared in advance to carry out an influence campaign against Israel.
The speed and orderly manner in which anti-Israel messages flooded the social networks testified more than anything to the fact that they were prepared in advance and waiting for the "Day of Command".
Their success was great.
Although Hamas terrorists used social media to document their actions, ironically they managed to convince a significant part of the world that there was no massacre and that the same videos, which they themselves distributed, were fake.
Pro-Palestinian supporters in Texas, USA. Fueled by the hate and fakes that are spread on social media almost unhindered, photo: AFP
This reality does not interfere with social networks, but the opposite.
Mobility within the network benefits them financially and they bear no responsibility for the content published by them.
The Social Networks Protection Act, enacted in the USA in 1996, led to the flourishing of social networks and created an absurd reality in which they profit from traffic, but bear no responsibility for the content.
Imposing restrictions and legislation
The solution - imposing limitations.
Spreading lies should have responsibility.
Israel should cooperate with US officials who call for the promotion of regulatory measures, such as charging the networks to open their user interface to researchers, disclosing data and creating a surveillance capability to identify bots, in order to remove them in real time.
At the same time, Israel does not need to wait for the US and can, and even must, move forward on its own with legislation that would establish that Facebook and other social networks are responsible for the content that is published on them. Since the issue currently preoccupies a large number of countries, Israeli legislation may force Facebook executives to consider the matter later 20 years of activity, if only because of the fear that this will lead to similar legislation in other countries in the world.
Before the seventh of October, this kind of legislation would have been interpreted as gagging, but it is hoped that the elected officials are now mentally in a different place and understand that the security of the country and its citizens is at stake, and therefore we must join forces and advance the law to limit Facebook's power.
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