War Profiteers: Online Ads, Propaganda For War, And A Call To Reprioritize Human Rights

While war propaganda is as old as war, the rise of digital communication tools and targeted social media ads that use personal data and algorithmic profiling now make it more sophisticated and dangerous, shaping perceptions and normalizing violence and human rights abuses. Access Now’s latest report, War profiteers: online ads and the machinery of propaganda for war, examines how propaganda for war and online ads intersect with the international human rights law, as well as the role of the private sector.

“Social media platforms should not profit from propaganda for war. Yet online ads present a clear example of their well-known shortcomings in moderating and curating content that can fuel further violence,” said Dr. Aymen Zaghdoudi, MENA Senior Policy Counsel at Access Now. “Even amid legal uncertainty over what constitutes propaganda for war, platforms must not exploit these gaps. Instead of generating advertising revenue at the expense of people affected by conflict, they must take every possible step to uphold human rights.”

The report examines the scope of Article 20 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits any propaganda for war by law but remains surrounded by legal ambiguities and subject to much debate. Yet this does not absolve social media platforms from taking measures to address propaganda for war, given the significant human rights harms that can be caused by such content.

“Social media platforms have become theaters of conflict, where disinformation and war propaganda spread unchecked,” said Marwa Fatafta, MENA Policy and Advocacy Director at Access Now. “While clear rules on propaganda for war are lacking, the online sphere is not a lawless frontier. As conflicts increasingly unfold online, the international community must pay closer attention to this urgent and growing threat, which perpetuates violence, undermines peace, and puts people’s lives and dignity at risk.”

Platform policies do not clearly address propaganda for war, and because such content often operates across multiple posts and platforms, assessing it requires a holistic, context-driven approach. Access Now therefore calls on:

• States to investigate and take appropriate measures to limit or punish the dissemination of propaganda for war, while protecting freedom of expression online and off.
• Platforms to issue dedicated advertising policies on propaganda for war, and address such content in line with the heightened human rights due diligence required in conflict-affected contexts.
• The international community to develop comprehensive guidance on the definition of propaganda for war under Article 20 (1) of the ICCPR, including clear guidelines for both states and corporate actors, similar to the Rabat Plan of Action.

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