An advertisement warning that the United States will respond to provocations has appeared on Tinder in Lebanon – yes, you read that right!
The ad appeared on the dating app last week in the form of Arabic writing beneath pictures of U.S fighter jets. The writing warns that swift action will be taken to any entity plotting against the United States. “Do not take up arms against the United States or its partners,” it said, claiming that America “will protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its proxies”.
The ads also claim that F-16 and A-10 aircraft are already in the region, warning that Central Command is “fully prepared” to employ the jets.
It was a freelance journalist based in Lebanon, Séamus Malekafzali, who first spotted the ad when he opened Tinder last week. He quickly shared screenshots of the ad on X that went viral.
Opened Tinder in Lebanon. Was greeted by an ad from CENTCOM saying in Arabic, “Do not take arms against the US and its partners”, that F-16s and A-10s are already prepared, and that the US will “protect its partners in the face of threats from the Iranian regime and its agents.” pic.twitter.com/Z6xIsQY5Gr
— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) August 22, 2024
A U.S. official familiar with the matter told the Washington Post that the ad belonged to Centcom and is part of a broader campaign that is commonly called psychological operations or military information support operations. The Post reported that Centcom often uses contractors to create and disseminate the message to a particular audience, using various tools to help identify platforms.
Central Command declined to comment on the matter, saying it generally does not discuss information operations. The Pentagon also had no comment.
A defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that: “broadly speaking and as a matter of policy, the Department of Defense does conduct military information operations in support of our national security priorities. These activities must be undertaken in compliance with U.S. law and DOD policy, and we are committed to enforcing those safeguards”.
The ads come at a time when fears are increasingly growing around the potential of a broader conflict between Iran and its neighbouring nations. The warning, seemingly aimed at young men, is unsurprising, but the use of Tinder as a platform is where things got a bit confusing.
“On its face, I doubt it would be very effective,” said a U.S. military psyops officer who has worked on information operations campaigns and was not authorised to speak on the record. “What message is it that they think will resonate here?” the officer said. “This is just an in-your-face ‘don’t mess with me’”.
While some argued that the message itself could be compelling, Gittipong “Eddie” Paruchabutr, a retired Army officer, said Tinder was probably a poor choice of a platform. “I’m guessing the average belligerent is probably among a very small subset of Tinder users,” said Paruchabutr.
Tinder has since removed the ad, claiming that it was a violation of the app’s policies on violent and political messaging.
