00:00Your favorite travel influencer could be selling you state propaganda without you even realizing it.
00:07Influencers are increasingly becoming a powerful tool for authoritarian governments.
00:11Look at Iran, for instance.
00:13In the summer of 2026, German influencer Lisa traveled to Iran under the slogan, Iran Unfiltered.
00:19She claimed to show the real Iran, free of Western propaganda.
00:24She said she wasn't forced to wear a headscarf, but did it voluntarily,
00:27even though there's a strict law for Iranian women to wear it.
00:31She also claimed much of the population supports the regime, while independent research shows the opposite.
00:39This could lead people abroad to believe that all they've heard about the suffering
00:43and problems faced by Iranians is Western propaganda.
00:48However, this isn't the reality.
00:49This significantly undermines the work of human rights activists and those seeking justice, accountability and truth.
00:56This can leave people feeling hopeless and desperate.
00:59Governments do this intentionally.
01:03Earlier in 2026, controversial Syrian-born influencer Maram Sousley drew criticism after visiting Iran
01:10and discrediting reports of oppression linked to the January protests.
01:14Both influencers did not respond to DW's requests for comments.
01:18It's unclear what the motivation for the influencers was, because both didn't react.
01:22But cases like these raise the question.
01:25Are influencers sharing their own experiences, or are they spreading governmental messages?
01:33These people can be bought quite easily.
01:35Governments and their security and propaganda apparatuses can approach influencers, pay them,
01:40and ask them to produce content that essentially serves as promotional material.
01:46And Iran isn't the only case.
01:49Following Iran's retaliatory strikes across the region in 2026,
01:53Dubai-based influencers went viral with the message,
01:56You live in Dubai, aren't you scared?
01:58No, because I know who's protecting us.
02:01Commenters quickly accused the influencers of being pressured by the UAE to support the trend,
02:06an allegation the creators deny.
02:08Many influencers have moved to the UAE because of its tax advantages.
02:12At the same time, authorities restrict content considered harmful to the state's reputation.
02:17So, are travel diaries from repressive countries an independent view from another perspective?
02:23Or are they plain old state propaganda in a new disguise?
