Report questions Twitter's impact on Iran election coverage

An upcoming report by British writer Charles Leadbeater and researcher Annika Wong, to be published by the British Council, examines Twitter's role in shaping news during Iran's national election.

The report challenges the perception that Twitter was a major platform for Iranians during the election, noting that only a small fraction of the population used the service.

It highlights that many Twitter accounts appearing to be from Tehran were actually foreigners who changed their location, inflating the perceived Iranian user base.

This finding suggests that stories about a new movement driven by Twitter in Iran may be exaggerated, as the actual number of Iranian users was even lower than reported.

The report provides a more nuanced view of Twitter's global influence, contrasting with earlier enthusiastic claims about its power to support political change.

What we're watching: How this report might influence future assessments of social media's role in political events worldwide.