Freedom of Information Movement Petitions Elections Committee Over Netanyahu X Bot Allegations
The Freedom of Information Movement petitioned the Central Elections Committee against Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud, alleging unprecedented bot activity and paid amplification on X ahead of the 2026 elections.
The Freedom of Information Movement has filed a petition with the Central Elections Committee against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, demanding disclosure and labeling of alleged bot activity on X (formerly Twitter). The petition highlights an unprecedented surge in followers and coordinated engagement originating from outside Israel.
Unusual Follower Growth Metrics
According to data from the network monitoring firm Scooper cited in the petition, between July and September, approximately 194,000 new followers were added to Netanyahu's account, with a consistent daily increase of 3,000 to 5,000 followers. In contrast, other party leaders saw significantly lower numbers during the same period: Naftali Bennett gained 162 followers, Itamar Ben Gvir 7,373, Bezalel Smotrich 1,829, Avigdor Lieberman 378, Yair Golan 1,885, and Gadi Eisenkot 4,800.
Furthermore, an analysis of 1,000 recent new followers as of September 20 showed that roughly 75% of Netanyahu's new followers used accounts created within the 24 hours prior to the check. About half of those accounts featured unauthentic profile pictures and lacked any posting history. Scooper's monitoring also revealed that within minutes of posting, 55% to 75% of retweets came from accounts located outside Israel, despite the content being in Hebrew and concerning domestic Israeli affairs.
Legal Demands and Transparency
"The petition points unequivocally to an exceptional and unprecedented scale of fictitious accounts amplifying the prime minister's messages on social networks," said Adv. Or Sadan from the Freedom of Information Movement. "Paid message amplification creates a manipulation of public support, severely harming democratic principles."
The petitioners argue that if these amplifying accounts are paid for, the activity constitutes paid election propaganda subject to Israel's Election Propaganda Law, which requires clear disclosure and labeling. The movement is asking the Central Elections Committee chairman to order Netanyahu and Likud to submit an affidavit confirming compliance with transparency rules, as well as issuing an injunction to remove unmarked sponsored content and enforce future disclosures.
