Manipulating the Narrative: The Role of Fake Media Outlets and Paid Ads in Promoting PTI’s Narrative on Facebook

Social Media: A Tool to Manipulate

In the modern connected world, social media platforms have become indispensable means for social engagement, information sharing, and communication. In addition to its beneficial effects, social media platforms are being used to promote particular agendas, control public opinion, and manipulate it. The use of social media to influence people’s beliefs, manipulate them, and further specific agendas is examined in this report.

In addition to influencing personal beliefs, social media is frequently used to promote particular agendas and interests. Social media platforms are used by political actors, foreign organizations, and special interest groups to spread misinformation, sway public opinion, and rig elections. These actors, who frequently lack transparency or accountability, utilize sophisticated advertising campaigns, microtargeting strategies, and customized content to target people in an effort to change public opinion, rally support, and weaken political opponents.

It has been reported, that in the final days of its government, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaaf unlawfully recruited 5,000 social media influencers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The influencers were receiving funding from the KP government, with a clear agenda to support the PTI by running social media trends. Every month, 150–160 million rupees were spent on them. Similarly, multiple social media accounts were made to promote the PTI agenda.

This report explores a group of social media accounts, from Facebook, that were made specifically to promote the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s narrative. The purpose behind the creation of these accounts is to sabotage the reputation of rival political parties, counter unfavoured narratives, and sway public opinion – create and support a strong image of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and its former chairman Imran Khan.

Identification of Facebook Accounts

Some of these Facebook pages had run similar paid advertisements. By running similar paid ads on platforms like Facebook, these outlets aim to saturate the information space with their desired messages, influencing public perception and opinion. These ads can strategically target audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, ensuring that the narrative reaches and resonates with the intended audience.

(Screenshots from Facebook)

Page Name	Examples of Paid Advertisement	Amount spent (USD, PKR, ISL)	Est. Reach
PakBadlo	Duration: February 2024 Source:https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=all&country=ALL&view_all_page_id=179254081938867&search_type=page&media_type=all	2.5M PKR	1M+
Pakistan Eyes (Sponsored by Shaheen Shoaib PTI)	Duration: February 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=all&country=ALL&view_all_page_id=431876196986413&search_type=page&media_type=all	1.5M PKR	1M+
Candle Light (Account disabled by Meta)	Duration: February 2023 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=510809334534621	2800 USD	18K
Waaz News	Duration: August 2022 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=603123618149646	200 ILS	30K
FHM Pakistan (Page was unpublished)	Duration: August 2022 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=760770908470845	100 ILS	45K
PTN – Pak Turk News	Duration: August 2022 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1220666065170944	200 USD
Taj Urdu	Duration: August 2022 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1087536158518739	900 ILS 100 USD	300K
Daa News	Duration: August 2022 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=755892928865402	500 ILS	50K
The Daily Inside	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=political_and_issue_ads&country=PK&view_all_page_id=544890789298426&search_type=page&media_type=all	1700PKR
Decode Pakistan	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=3650985691820892	900 PKR	10K
Print Point PK	Duration: August 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=437228491680016	100 ILS	20K
BeepWired.com	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=369938048909056	Active
Wire Examiner	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=460601566440484	Active
Fetch Pakistan Network	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1155056802210161	Active
X Media Pakistan	Duration: April 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1427945078115666	Active
Social Strategize	Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?active_status=all&ad_type=all&country=ALL&view_all_page_id=321577447703955&sort_data[direction]=desc&sort_data[mode]=relevancy_monthly_grouped&search_type=page&media_type=all	Active
Gujranwala News	Duration: May 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=421472540811009	5000PKR	125K
Verified Zameen	Duration: February 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2509405002573206	500PKR	5K
Newsone Digital	Duration: February 2024 Source: https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1378003733078617	2000 PKR	40K
		Total Estimated Amount Spent in PKR; 5 Million PKR	Total Estimated Reach; 2.6 Million

The democratic process can be seriously distorted by fabricating Facebook pages and fake news sources to promote the agenda of a particular party. Misinformation is spread by these channels, which fabricate a different reality to undermine opponents and reinforce the party’s narrative. This false information has the potential to divide and polarise the general public.

These stories have a greater effect and reach when sponsored advertisements are used to support them. These advertisements can target particular demographics by utilizing Facebook’s advanced targeting techniques, which guarantees that the party’s message reaches and convinces important voter segments. This deliberate bombardment can distort public perception and impact voter behavior by disseminating inaccurate or biased information as fact.

Social media platforms also contribute to the development of “filter bubbles” and “echo chambers,” when people are exposed mostly to information and opinions that support their own ideas and preferences. This selective exposure has the potential to erode critical thinking abilities, polarise public discourse, and entrench ideological biases. Furthermore, by reinforcing users’ preexisting biases and preferences, social media platforms’ algorithms—which personalize content feeds—may unintentionally contribute to opinion shifts and deepen societal divide and animosity.