Fact Check: Has White House been hacked amid US-Iran war?

WASHINGTON, DC: Even as the US-Iran war is into its fourth week, there have been no signs of a ceasefire. Amid this, several fake news and clips have been circulating across social media, raising speculations among online users.

Recently, the White House's X account and Instagram handle posted a video that raised speculation about whether the social media handles had been hacked. But what is the truth behind it? Let us find out below.

Claim: White House has been hacked

The video posted on White House's social media handles showed a dark screen before a notification sound was heard. Following that, some images, although distorted and indiscernible, appeared in the clip.

Interestingly, the incoherent nature of the videos from President Donald Trump's administration sparked speculations about the White House social media handles being hacked.

Several social media users reacted to the posts and wondered if the accounts had been hacked. An X user shared the clip and wrote, "Has the White House been hacked?"

Meanwhile, another user added, "The office White House X account tweeted this strange post 45 minutes ago. Were they hacked?"

Similarly, one more user mentioned, "The official White House account is either a) hacked or b) announcing something through a cryptic message like it's the f*****g WWE. We're not a real country anymore. This is embarrassing on so many levels."

The fear emerged online amid the ongoing war with Iran, and after the Israel-US strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, law enforcement has been on the alert about possibilities of an attack on home soil.

Fact Check: False, no evidence to back the claim

The claim made in social media posts is not true, as there is no credible evidence to prove that White House's X account and Instagram handle have been hacked.

These posts by White House social media accounts triggered widespread online confusion and 'hacked' comments, especially amid heightened tensions with Iran.

However, multiple reports and fact-checks confirmed no evidence of a breach. The @WhiteHouse X bio had been legitimately updated to reflect the current Trump administration, consistent with normal operations. 

Moreover, the White House has not issued any official statement clarifying the posts as of the latest reports, but nothing indicated unauthorized access, unusual account behavior, or security alerts from X.

The current administration’s social media style has included meme-like or informal content, which can blur the line between 'official' and 'quirky', contributing to the confusion.