As the curtain rose on the 2024 Paris Olympics, the world witnessed not just athletic feats but also a surge in disinformation and misinformation campaigns. These efforts, driven by a mix of Russian sources and fueled by conservative and liberal culture wars, began well before the Games and intensified during the event. Targeting various aspects of the Olympics, they created a climate of distrust and controversy. It wasn’t just deepfakes; there were also elaborate hoaxes, like this one, designed to embarrass and mislead.
In the lead-up to the Olympics, a fake documentary titled "Olympics Has Fallen" was circulated, falsely alleging corruption within the International Olympic Committee (IOC). AI-generated videos spread baseless fears about terrorism, claiming mass ticket returns by Parisians and prompting rumors that residents were purchasing property insurance in anticipation of attacks. Russian propagandists further fueled these fears by issuing fake threats of violence, exploiting ongoing global conflicts to lend credibility to their claims.
AI generated content continued to flood social media networks and went viral. Like this deepfake video on TikTok of President Macron swimming in the Seine.
‘Paris, Paris, 1-2-3, go to the Seine and make a pee,’ taunts an AI-enhanced singer as a faux Macron actor dances in the background, seemingly referencing water quality concerns in the Seine River, where some competitions are taking place. The account was created just before the Olympics and has several thousand reposts but no likes. The objective was to make the video trend, which was clearly boosted by bots. To achieve this, fake accounts were created on X, including the one shown here, 'Shaun Santos,' among others. Additionally, a fake news post by 'Aussie Cossak' about a threat by HAMAS on the Olympics gained significant traction on social media, spreading fear and further contributing to the climate of disinformation.
This Fake Hamas video was posted around the Olympics to create panic.
On the eve of the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony, France's TGV high-speed rail network faced severe disruptions due to coordinated sabotage, including arson targeting key rail lines. The sabotage affected the Atlantic, Northern, and Eastern lines, causing major travel disruptions just as people were traveling to Paris for the Games and the start of summer vacation. We analyzed who was discussing this on X.
The visualisation shows different clusters of users discussing the incident, with groups categorized by themes such as French Railways, French Patriotism, French Politics, European Politics, French Left-Wing, French Right-Wing, and Paris Saint-Germain
The Opening Ceremony became a flashpoint, with viral disinformation claiming that the event had a religious agenda. This sparked protests and online outrage, overshadowing the actual ceremony and creating division among audiences. Our analysis revealed a significant shift in online discourse, with users who traditionally held centrist political views on social media moving noticeably to the right after the Opening Ceremony. This shift highlights the powerful influence that coordinated disinformation campaigns can have on public opinion, particularly when they tap into sensitive cultural and religious issues.
This was the most liked video on Youtube around the Olympics with just under 200,000 likes and it is full of disinformation.
This fake protest against the Opening Ceremony was actually posted to Instagram two months before the Olympic Games. Social media users were fooled thinking it was actually unfolding at the Games.
Individual athletes were also targeted. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was the subject of a disinformation effort that spread falsehoods about her qualifications and performance, aiming to discredit her and stir controversy. We analysed it here.
The data behind the Khelif controversy
Similarly, Bgirl Raygun, a breakdancer competing in the Games, found herself at the center of fabricated stories designed to undermine her achievements in the sport’s Olympic debut. Australia was especially critical as the most seen video on youtube in Australia was about her.
These coordinated disinformation efforts illustrate how international events like the Olympics have become battlegrounds for information warfare. The spread of false narratives not only aimed to discredit the Games and its participants but also to sow discord and erode public trust in global institutions.
As the digital landscape faces growing disinformation threats, brands and companies linked to major events must be prepared to defend their reputations. The 2024 Paris Olympics, dubbed the "Meme Olympics," showed how quickly AI can spread false narratives and sow discord in seconds. We measured how disinformation can even shift political views, as seen with the rightward movement of centrist users after the Opening Ceremony. We can help by providing advanced monitoring, digital crisis communication strategies, and training rapid response teams, ensuring that organisations are equipped to protect their integrity and effectively combat disinformation.