#FactCheck -Old Video of Benjamin Netanyahu Running in Knesset Falsely Linked to Iran-Israel Tensions
Executive Summary
Amid the ongoing tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran, a video circulating on social media claims that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seen running after Iran launched an attack on Israel. However, research by the CyberPeace found the viral claim to be misleading. Our research revealed that the video has no connection with the current tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. In reality, the clip dates back to 2021, when Netanyahu was rushing inside Israel’s parliament to cast his vote after arriving late.
Claim:
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), a user shared the video on March 5, 2026, claiming that Netanyahu had fled and gone into hiding due to fear of Iran. The post included inflammatory remarks suggesting that Iran had demonstrated its power and that Netanyahu had abandoned his country out of fear.
Fact Check
To verify the authenticity of the video, we extracted several keyframes and conducted a reverse image search on Google. During the research, we found the same video on the official X account of Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on December 14, 2021. In the post, Netanyahu wrote in Hebrew, which translates to,“I am always proud to run for you. Photographed half an hour ago in the Knesset.”
Further research also led us to a Hebrew news website where the same video was published.
According to the report, voting in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) continued throughout the night, and an explosives-related bill was passed by a very narrow margin. At the time, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu was in his room inside the Knesset building. When he was called for the vote, he hurried through the parliament corridors to reach the chamber in time to cast his vote.
Conclusion:
Our research found that the viral video is unrelated to the ongoing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The footage is from 2021 and shows Benjamin Netanyahu rushing inside the Knesset to participate in a parliamentary vote after being called in at the last moment.
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With AI touching new milestones everyday an increasing need for making it secure is also arising. As these AI companies increase their operations and position in the market as providers of powerful tools in the market. A recent concern due to Anthropic's recent privacy policy update which will be effective from July 8, 2026 shows how companies have begun expanding the amount of personal information they collect in the name of safety, compliance, and trust. While they are being demonstrated as measures to improve safety of users and prevent abuse, it raises important questions about privacy, biometric data, surveillance, data retention, and user autonomy, some of which we will be addressing in this article.
Identity Verification of consumers
One of the most notable update to Anthropic's privacy policy is the category of "Verification Data." According to the policy, users may be asked to verify their age or identity in certain circumstances. Depending on the verification method, Anthropic may collect:
- Images of government-issued identity documents;
- Information appearing on those documents, including identification numbers and date of birth for age verification;
- Photographs or videos of the user;
- Facial geometry templates, which may constitute biometric data under certain legal frameworks; and
- The outcome of the verification process.
At first, this may appear similar to the Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures employed by banks or financial institutions but Claude is not a banking service. It is a consumer AI platform. The issue is not that verification exists, but that the circumstances under which it may be required remain undefined.
THE PROBLEM WITH “CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES”
The policy refers to verification being required in "certain circumstances." The public notification from Anthropic mentions that these circumstances may include access to particular features, routine platform integrity checks, abuse prevention mechanisms, policy enforcement activities, or legal compliance obligations. The ambiguity of this phrase raises important concerns. From a user perspective, it is difficult to determine, When verification may be triggered ? Whether verification applies only to suspicious accounts ? Whether access to future features may depend upon verification ? Whether users in particular regions will face more frequent verification requirements ? Whether verification requests may increase as AI regulation expands ? This broad language and discretionary power that the company has along with flexibility in the hands of the company creates uncertainty for users who may have initially joined a platform expecting only an email address and payment information to be required.
Government IDs collection: A new risk category
Almost all AI services have operated without collecting government-issued identity documents. Once a company begins processing such information, the privacy implications change dramatically. Because government issued IDs contain: Full legal names, Dates of birth, Identification numbers, Addresses, Photographs and information regarding nationality. When companies collect these documents, they will have an important database of highly sensitive personal information. Even if the company itself does not retain the documents indefinitely, the existence of a verification process introduces additional privacy and security risks. As per Anthropic has stated that identity verification is conducted through third-party providers such as Persona. According to article on the official site titled ‘Identity verification on Claude’, Persona stores the identity documents and selfie data, while Anthropic retains access to verification records when necessary. From the user's perspective, several important realities remain: First, the data still exists somewhere. Second, another third party organization is now involved in processing highly sensitive personal information. Third, Anthropic retains the ability to access verification records under certain circumstances. Therefore, although Anthropic may not directly maintain copies of every uploaded identity document, the practical result remains that sensitive information enters a broader ecosystem of entities and systems. Identity documents today are among the most valuable forms of personal information from the perspective of fraudsters, cybercriminals, and malicious actors. Therefore, any system that handles such documents becomes an attractive target for attack.
More information on persona’s government ID verification- https://withpersona.com/blog/what-is-government-id-verification
The Biometric Dimension
Another significant aspect of the update is the reference to facial geometry templates. Unlike passwords, biometric identifiers cannot easily be changed if compromised. A person can replace a password or even obtain a new identification card, but they cannot simply obtain a new face. Facial geometry templates are sensitive because they enable automated identity matching. Although these templates, as claimed, are not equivalent to photographs, they are nevertheless derived from unique physical characteristics of a person. In many jurisdictions, including parts of the European Union and several U.S. states, biometric data receives enhanced legal protection because of its permanence and sensitivity, let us see how it unfolds in these jurisdictions.
The Unanswered Retention Question
It is unclear in the policy as to how long the data will be retained because retention limits serve as one of the most important safeguards in modern privacy law, they have given another vague answer that “They're bound to protect it with industry-standard security controls and delete it in line with the retention limits we've set and applicable law.” The longer sensitive information remains stored, the greater the likelihood of unauthorized access, misuse, accidental disclosure, or legal compulsion.
Court Orders and Government Access
Anthropic may be required to disclose information pursuant to valid legal processes such as subpoenas, court orders, warrants, or regulatory directives. The existence of identity verification records means that future requests could potentially be linked to verified identities rather than pseudonymous accounts. This does not mean governments receive unrestricted access to user data. However, it does mean that once identity verification information exists within a company's ecosystem, it may become subject to lawful disclosure requirements. The privacy implications are therefore materially different from those associated with anonymous or pseudonymous AI usage.
Shifting Responsibility onto Users
Another concern is that the privacy policy states that users are responsible for ensuring they possess the necessary rights, permissions, or authority when uploading files, connecting third-party services, or instructing Claude to retrieve information. Anthropic is effectively informing users that they bear responsibility for ensuring that uploaded or connected data is lawfully accessible. As AI assistants gain greater capabilities, this transfer of responsibility from platform to user is likely to become increasingly common. Beyond individual privacy, Anthropic's verification policy also raises larger questions about data sovereignty and the cross-border movement of sensitive personal information. In India, the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India judgment recognized privacy as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution, affirming that individuals have the right to informational self-determination and control over their personal data. Yet, under Anthropic's verification framework, an Indian user may be required to upload a government-issued identity document and biometric information, which are processed by Persona, a U.S.-based identity verification company acting on behalf of Anthropic. Although users voluntarily consent to this process, it nevertheless results in highly sensitive identity information crossing national borders and entering the control of foreign private entities governed primarily by foreign contractual arrangements and multiple legal regimes. While governments issue identity documents as sovereign instruments of citizenship, their verification and processing are increasingly outsourced to multinational technology companies. Questions arise not only about how securely such information is handled, but also about which country's laws ultimately govern access, retention, disclosure, and accountability when personal data leaves the jurisdiction in which it originated. Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, cross-border transfer of personal data is generally permitted unless the Central Government specifically restricts transfers to certain jurisdictions. Therefore, a foreign company processing identity documents is not, by itself, unlawful but this legality does not eliminate legitimate concerns. Users realistically have limited bargaining power and little practical understanding of how long their identity documents, biometric templates, or verification records will be retained, who within the corporate ecosystem may access them, or how they may be disclosed pursuant to foreign legal processes.
Conclusion
The policy is commendable in some respects because it openly identifies the categories of information that may be collected rather than obscuring them behind vague terminology. However, important concerns remain regarding the extent of verification triggers, the handling of biometric information, the absence of clearly disclosed retention periods, and the long-term implications of linking AI accounts to government-issued identities. As AI systems become more integrated into daily life, these questions will likely become central issues in debates about digital privacy, surveillance, autonomy, and the future governance of artificial intelligence.
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Introduction
Cyber slavery is a form of modern exploitation that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking. In recent times, cyber slavery has emerged as a serious threat that involves exploiting individuals through digital means under coercive or deceptive conditions. Offenders target innocent individuals and lure them by giving fake promises to offer them employment or alike. Cyber slavery can occur on a global scale, targeting vulnerable individuals worldwide through the internet and is a disturbing continuum of online manipulation that leads to real-world abuse and exploitation, where individuals are entrapped by false promises and subjected to severe human rights violations. It can take many different forms, such as coercive involvement in cybercrime, forced employment in online frauds, exploitation in the gig economy, or involuntary slavery. This issue has escalated to the highest level where Indians are being trafficked for jobs in countries like Laos and Cambodia. Recently over 5,000 Indians were reported to be trapped in Southeast Asia, where they are allegedly being coerced into carrying out cyber fraud. It was reported that particularly Indian techies were lured to Cambodia for high-paying jobs and later they found themselves trapped in cyber fraud schemes, forced to work 16 hours a day under severe conditions. This is the harsh reality for thousands of Indian tech professionals who are lured under false pretences to employment in Southeast Asia, where they are forced into committing cyber crimes.
Over 5,000 Indians Held in Cyber Slavery and Human Trafficking Rings
India has rescued 250 citizens in Cambodia who were forced to run online scams, with more than 5,000 Indians stuck in Southeast Asia. The victims, mostly young and tech-savvy, are lured into illegal online work ranging from money laundering and crypto fraud to love scams, where they pose as lovers online. It was reported that Indians are being trafficked for jobs in countries like Laos and Cambodia, where they are forced to conduct cybercrime activities. Victims are often deceived about where they would be working, thinking it will be in Thailand or the Philippines. Instead, they are sent to Cambodia, where their travel documents are confiscated and they are forced to carry out a variety of cybercrimes, from stealing life savings to attacking international governmental or non-governmental organizations. The Indian embassy in Phnom Penh has also released an advisory warning Indian nationals of advertisements for fake jobs in the country through which victims are coerced to undertake online financial scams and other illegal activities.
Regulatory Landscape
Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) is prohibited under the Constitution of India under Article
23 (1). The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, of 1956 (ITPA) is the premier legislation for the prevention of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, is a comprehensive legal provision aimed at combating organized crime and will be useful in persecuting people involved in such large-scale scams. India has also ratified certain bilateral agreements with several countries to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts to combat transnational organized crime and human trafficking.
CyberPeace Policy Recommendations
● Misuse of Technology has exploited the new genre of cybercrimes whereby cybercriminals utilise social media platforms as a tool for targeting innocent individuals. It requires collective efforts from social media companies and regulatory authorities to time to time address the new emerging cybercrimes and develop robust preventive measures to counter them.
● Despite the regulatory mechanism in place, there are certain challenges such as jurisdictional challenges, challenges in detection due to anonymity, and investigations challenges which significantly make the issue of cyber human trafficking a serious evolving threat. Hence International collaboration between the countries is encouraged to address the issue considering the present situation in a technologically driven world. Robust legislation that addresses both national and international cases of human trafficking and contains strict penalties for offenders must be enforced.
● Cybercriminals target innocent people by offering fake high-pay job opportunities, building trust and luring them. It is high time that all netizens should be aware of such tactics deployed by bad actors and recognise the early signs of them. By staying vigilant and cross-verifying the details from authentic sources, netizens can safeguard themselves from such serious threats which even endanger their life by putting them under restrictions once they are being trafficked. It is a notable fact that the Indian government and its agencies are continuously making efforts to rescue the victims of cyber human trafficking or cyber slavery, they must further develop robust mechanisms in place to conduct specialised operations by specialised government agencies to rescue the victims in a timely manner.
● Capacity building and support mechanisms must be encouraged by government entities, cyber security experts and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to empower the netizens to follow best practices while navigating the online landscape, providing them with helpline or help centres to report any suspicious activity or behaviour they encounter, and making them empowered to feel safe on the Internet while simultaneously building defenses to stay protected from cyber threats.
References:
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68705913
3. https://therecord.media/india-rescued-cambodia-scam-centers-citizens
4. https://www.the420.in/rescue-indian-tech-workers-cambodia-cyber-fraud-awareness/
7. https://www.dyami.services/post/intel-brief-250-indian-citizens-rescued-from-cyber-slavery
8. https://www.mea.gov.in/human-trafficking.htm
9. https://www.drishtiias.com/blog/the-vicious-cycle-of-human-trafficking-and-cybercrime
Executive Summary
A video of senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is widely circulating on social media, allegedly showing him praising Pakistan’s diplomatic stance over the ICC T20 World Cup issue. Many users are sharing the clip believing it to be genuine. However, research by the CyberPeace found the claim to be false. The viral video of Tharoor is a deepfake, and the Congress leader himself has described it as fabricated and fake.
Claim
A Facebook page named “Vok Sports” shared the video on February 11, 2026, claiming that Tharoor praised Pakistan. In the viral clip, he is purportedly heard saying in English that Pakistan’s diplomatic handling of the matter was “brilliant” and that it had outmanoeuvred the Indian cricket board, adding that good diplomacy could make a weak nation appear powerful.
The video was widely shared by social media users as authentic. (Archive links and post details provided.)
Fact Check
To verify the claim, we first scanned Tharoor’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle. We found a post dated February 12 in which he responded to a Pakistani journalist who had shared the video. Tharoor stated that the clip was AI-generated “fake news,” adding that neither the language nor the voice in the video was his.
A reverse image search using Google Lens led the Desk to a video uploaded on February 10, 2026, by India Today on its official YouTube channel. The visuals in this original video exactly matched those seen in the viral clip showing Tharoor speaking to the media. However, upon analysing the original footage, we found that Tharoor was speaking in Hindi about the controversy surrounding the T20 World Cup. He stated that politics should not be mixed with cricket or sports and did not praise Pakistan or the Pakistan Cricket Board at any point. This indicates that the audio in the viral clip had been manipulated and replaced. In the original video, Tharoor said that politicians should conduct politics separately, diplomats should handle diplomacy, and cricket players should focus on the game, expressing hope that cricket would move forward with the match.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkA1mLlAT8Q&t=3s
To further verify the authenticity of the video, several AI detection tools were used. Analysis through Aurigin.ai suggested a 78 percent probability that the audio in the viral clip was AI-generated.
Conclusion
The CyberPeace confirmed that the viral video is a deepfake. Tharoor did not praise Pakistan’s diplomatic stance during the T20 World Cup controversy, and the circulating clip has been digitally manipulated.
