The disinformation strategy relies on recycling unrelated footage to stoke public anger. One video, which garnered 1.3 million views on X, purported to show a man removing a cross from a church in Ceuta. Investigators traced the original clip to West Bengal, where it captured an incident involving a Hindu nationalist three weeks prior to the events in Spain. Despite eventual community notes attached to the posts, the initial reach of such content leaves a lasting impression on millions of users.
Fabricated footage of church arson fuels anti-migrant sentiment
A surge of viral videos falsely depicting migrants burning churches in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta has ignited online hostility. Fact-checkers at Maldita.es have debunked seven major disinformation campaigns in the last month alone, revealing a coordinated effort to weaponize social media algorithms following the recent migration crisis.
Carlos Hernández-Echevarría of Maldita.es describes the phenomenon as a deliberate mechanism that thrives on crisis. He argues that the scale of engagement suggests platform algorithms actively amplify divisive content, rewarding opportunists who peddle fear. Beyond the fabricated arson claims, the outlet identified an organized network of accounts using the #FreeCeuta hashtag to promote geopolitical discord, further complicating the digital landscape surrounding the border crossings.
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