#FactCheck - AI-Generated Video Falsely Claims Death of Iran’s Supreme Leader
Executive Summary
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in a major attack carried out by Israel and the United States, with claims circulating that Iranian state media confirmed his death early Sunday morning. Amid these claims, a video is being widely shared on social media. The viral video shows a body trapped under debris. Users sharing the clip claim that the body seen in the footage is that of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, research conducted by CyberPeace found the viral claim to be false. Our research revealed that the video is not authentic but AI-generated.
Claim:
On March 1, 2026, an Instagram user shared the viral video with the caption: “Shaheed Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei — Neither fled nor hid in a bunker, embraced death like a brave man.” The link to the post and its archived version are provided below along with a screenshot.
Fact Check:
Upon closely examining the viral video, we noticed several visual irregularities and technical inconsistencies. This raised suspicion about its authenticity. We then scanned the video using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. The results indicated that approximately 83 percent of the content showed signs of being AI-generated.
To further verify the claim, we also analyzed the video using another AI detection tool, WasItAI. The findings similarly suggested that the video was generated using artificial intelligence.
Conclusion:
Our research establishes that the viral video is not real. It has been artificially generated using AI and is being shared with misleading claims.
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Introduction
Snapchat's Snap Map redefined location sharing with an ultra-personalised feature that allows users to track where they and their friends are, discover hotspots, and even explore events worldwide. In November 2024, Snapchat introduced a new addition to its Family Center, aiming to bolster teen safety. This update enables parents to request and share live locations with their teens, set alerts for specific locations, and monitor who their child shares their location with.
While designed with keeping safety in mind, such tracking tools raise significant privacy concerns. Misusing these features could expose teens to potential harm, amplifying the debate around safeguarding children’s online privacy. This blog delves into the privacy and safety challenges Snap Map poses under existing data protection laws, highlighting critical gaps and potential risks.
Understanding Snapmap: How It Works and Why It’s Controversial
Snap Map, built on technology from Snap's acquisition of social mapping startup Zenly, revolutionises real-time location sharing by letting users track friends, send messages, and explore the world through an interactive map. With over 350 million active users by Q4 2023, and India leading with 202.51 million Snapchat users, Snap Map has become a global phenomenon.
This opt-in feature allows users to customise their location-sharing settings, offering modes like "Ghost Mode" for privacy, sharing with all friends, or selectively with specific contacts. However, location updates occur only when the app is in use, adding a layer of complexity to privacy management.
While empowering users to connect and share, Snap Map’s location-sharing capabilities raise serious concerns. Unintentional sharing or misuse of this tool could expose users—especially teens—to risks like stalking or predatory behaviour. As Snap Map becomes increasingly popular, ensuring its safe use and addressing its potential for harm remains a critical challenge for users and regulators.
The Policy Vacuum: Protecting Children’s Data Privacy
Given the potential misuse of location-sharing features, evaluating the existing regulatory frameworks for protecting children's geolocation privacy is important. Geolocation features remain under-regulated in many jurisdictions, creating opportunities for misuse, such as stalking or unauthorised surveillance. Presently, multiple international and national jurisdictions are in the process of creating and implementing privacy laws. The most notable examples are the COPPA in the US, GDPR in the EU and the DPDP Act which have made considerable progress in privacy for children and their online safety. COPPA and GDPR prioritise children’s online safety through strict data protections, consent requirements, and limits on profiling. India’s DPDP Act, 2023, prohibits behavioral tracking and targeted ads for children, enhancing privacy. However, it lacks safeguards against geolocation tracking, leaving a critical gap in protecting children from risks posed by location-based features.
Balancing Innovation and Privacy: The Role of Social Media Platforms
Privacy is an essential element that needs to be safeguarded and this is specifically important for children as they are vulnerable to harm they cannot always foresee. Social media companies must uphold their responsibility to create platforms that do not become a breeding ground for offences against children. Some of the challenges that platforms face in implementing a safe online environment are robust parental control and consent mechanisms to ensure parents are informed about their children’s online presence and options to opt out of services that they feel are not safe for their children. Platforms need to maintain a level of privacy that allows users to know what data is collected by the platform, sharing and retention data policies.
Policy Recommendations: Addressing the Gaps
Some of the recommendations for addressing the gaps in the safety of minors are as follows:
- Enhancing privacy and safety for minors by taking measures such as mandatory geolocation restrictions for underage users.
- Integrating clear consent guidelines for data protection for users.
- Collaboration between stakeholders such as government, social media platforms, and civil society is necessary to create awareness about location-sharing risks among parents and children.
Conclusion
Safeguarding privacy, especially of children, with the introduction of real-time geolocation tools like Snap Map, is critical. While these features offer safety benefits, they also present the danger of misuse, potentially harming vulnerable teens. Policymakers must urgently update data protection laws and incorporate child-specific safeguards, particularly around geolocation tracking. Strengthening regulations and enhancing parental controls are essential to protect young users. However, this must be done without stifling technological innovation. A balanced approach is needed, where safety is prioritised, but innovation can still thrive. Through collaboration between governments, social media platforms, and civil society, we can create a digital environment that ensures safety and progress.
References
- https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/snapchat-family-center-real-time-location-sharing-travel-notifications-9669270/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/snapchat-unveils-location-sharing-features-to-safeguard-teen-users/articleshow/115297065.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/snapchat-adds-more-location-safety-features-for-teens/article68871301.ece
- https://www.moneycontrol.com/technology/snapchat-expands-parental-control-with-location-tracking-to-make-it-easier-for-parents-to-track-their-kids-article-12868336.html
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/545967/snapchat-app-dau/
Executive Summary:
A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) has been spreading misleading captions about a video that falsely claims to depict severe wildfires in Los Angeles similar to the real wildfire happening in Los Angeles. Using AI Content Detection tools we confirmed that the footage shown is entirely AI-generated and not authentic. In this report, we’ll break down the claims, fact-check the information, and provide a clear summary of the misinformation that has emerged with this viral clip.
Claim:
A video shared across social media platforms and messaging apps alleges to show wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, suggesting an ongoing natural disaster.
Fact Check:
After taking a close look at the video, we noticed some discrepancy such as the flames seem unnatural, the lighting is off, some glitches etc. which are usually seen in any AI generated video. Further we checked the video with an online AI content detection tool hive moderation, which says the video is AI generated, meaning that the video was deliberately created to mislead viewers. It’s crucial to stay alert to such deceptions, especially concerning serious topics like wildfires. Being well-informed allows us to navigate the complex information landscape and distinguish between real events and falsehoods.
Conclusion:
This video claiming to display wildfires in Los Angeles is AI generated, the case again reflects the importance of taking a minute to check if the information given is correct or not, especially when the matter is of severe importance, for example, a natural disaster. By being careful and cross-checking of the sources, we are able to minimize the spreading of misinformation and ensure that proper information reaches those who need it most.
- Claim: The video shows real footage of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, California
- Claimed On: X (Formerly Known As Twitter)
- Fact Check: Fake Video
An image showing a damaged statue of Mahatma Gandhi, broken into two pieces, is being widely shared on social media. The image shows Gandhi’s statue with its head separated from the body, prompting strong reactions online.
Social media users are claiming that the incident occurred in Bangladesh, alleging that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue was deliberately vandalised there. The image is being described as a recent incident and is being circulated across platforms with provocative and inflammatory captions.
Cyber Peace Foundation’s research and verification found that the claim being shared online is misleading. Our rsearch revealed that the viral image is not from Bangladesh. The image is actually from Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India
Claim:
Social media users claim that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue was vandalised in Bangladesh, and that the viral image shows a recent incident from the country.One Facebook user shared the video on 19 January 2026, making derogatory remarks and falsely linking the incident to Bangladesh. The post has since been widely shared on social media platforms. (Archived links and screenshots are available.)
Fact Check:
Our research revealed that the viral image is not from Bangladesh. The image is actually from Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal, India. To verify the claim, we conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens on key frames from the viral video. This led us to a report published by ABP Live Bangla on 16 January 2026, which featured the same visuals. Link and screenshot
According to ABP Live Bangla, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was damaged during a protest in Chakulia. The statue’s head was found separated from the body. While a portion of the broken statue remained at the site on Thursday night, it was reported missing by Friday morning. The report further stated that extensive damage was observed at BDO Office No. 2 in Golpokhar. Gandhi’s statue, located at the entrance of the administrative building, was found broken, and ashes were discovered near the premises. Government staff were seen clearing scattered debris from the site.
The incident reportedly occurred during a SIR (Special Intensive Revision) hearing at the BDO office, which was disrupted due to vandalism. In connection with the violence and damage to government property, 21 people have been arrested so far. In the next stage of verification, we found the same footage in a 16 January 2026 report by local Bengali news channel K TV, which also showed clear visuals of the damaged Mahatma Gandhi statue. Link and screenshot.
Conclusion:
The viral image of Mahatma Gandhi’s broken statue does not depict an incident from Bangladesh. The image is from Chakulia in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district, where the statue was damaged during a protest.
