Iberian Blackout Sparks Wave of Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories
The widespread power outage that plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness on April 28, 2025, triggered an immediate surge of misinformation and fabricated narratives across social media and even some mainstream news outlets. Within minutes of the outage, unsubstantiated claims attributing the blackout to a Russian cyberattack or unusual atmospheric phenomena began to circulate, often falsely citing reputable news organizations like CNN and Reuters as sources. This disinformation rapidly spread across multiple languages and platforms, fueled by both individual social media users and coordinated disinformation networks.
The first detected instance of disinformation involved a fabricated CNN article in Portuguese, falsely quoting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as blaming Russia for a cyberattack and linking the blackout to a threat against European sovereignty. This fabricated story, shared widely on Facebook, WhatsApp, and other platforms, gained traction even after both the European Commission and CNN Portugal debunked it. The rapid dissemination of this false narrative underscores the vulnerability of online information ecosystems to manipulated content, particularly during crisis events.
As the blackout persisted throughout the Iberian Peninsula, another wave of disinformation emerged, attributing the outage to a “rare atmospheric phenomenon.” This narrative originated from a later-retracted Reuters alert and was amplified by several media outlets, including CNN Portugal, Sky News, and the BBC. While some news organizations subsequently issued corrections, others did not, leaving the false information to continue circulating online. This incident highlights the potential for even reputable news sources to inadvertently spread misinformation, particularly when relying on quickly evolving and potentially inaccurate initial reports.
Further complicating the information landscape, a similar false narrative emerged attributing the blackout to an "induced atmospheric vibration." This claim, also falsely attributed to the Portuguese energy operator REN and circulating around the same time as the "rare atmospheric phenomenon" narrative, was amplified by the Chinese state-controlled media outlet CGTN and other sources. The lack of corroborating evidence from meteorological agencies and the energy operator did little to curb the spread of this misinformation, demonstrating the challenge of combating false narratives once they gain momentum online.
Adding to the plethora of false information, fabricated satellite images depicting Spain and Portugal shrouded in darkness began circulating online. These images, shared by Russian propaganda networks like Pravda, often included inaccuracies such as darkened areas that were not affected by the outage or nighttime images presented as if taken during daylight hours. These manipulated visuals underscore the potential for visual misinformation to deceive and manipulate public perception, particularly when exploiting the emotional impact of a crisis event.
Beyond the immediate aftermath of the blackout, disinformation continued to spread through various channels. A video of a building demolition, falsely presented as a nuclear power plant being dismantled due to green energy policies, circulated in multiple languages. In reality, the video depicted the demolition of a coal-fired power plant in Spain. This misinformation exploited pre-existing anxieties surrounding energy policy and further muddied the waters around the blackout’s cause.
Adding a layer of complexity to the disinformation landscape, a Russian disinformation campaign known as "Operation Matryoshka" impersonated legitimate media outlets such as The Independent and France24. This operation, designed to sow confusion and erode trust in credible news sources, involved creating fake news stories and videos that attributed the blackout to EU sanctions against Russia. These fabricated narratives were then amplified by pro-Russian propaganda outlets, further blurring the lines between legitimate journalism and disinformation.
The proliferation of misinformation surrounding the Iberian blackout highlights the challenges of navigating the online information environment during a crisis. The rapid spread of false narratives, amplified by both individual social media users and coordinated disinformation networks, underscores the need for critical media literacy and the importance of verifying information from reputable sources. The incident also serves as a reminder of the potential for misinformation to exploit existing anxieties and grievances, further exacerbating the impact of real-world events. The continued lack of a definitive explanation for the blackout from official sources has contributed to the information vacuum, creating fertile ground for these various forms of disinformation to flourish.