How Impartial Are Fact-Checking Platforms? An Analysis of the Israel-Hamas Conflict

Abstract

As fake news spreads rapidly in conflict and crisis, fact-checking platforms are critical in accessing reliable information. Although these platforms aim to provide accurate and unbiased information, they are often criticized, and their impartiality is questioned. Although studies evaluating such criticisms on a scientific basis are limited, they can help to analyze the effectiveness of fact-checking platforms in combating misinformation and ensuring societies’ access to reliable information. Analyzing their impartiality, especially in sensitive crisis moments such as conflict, sheds a critical light on the credibility of these platforms. Through comparative qualitative content analysis, this study analyses IFCN-certified fact-checking platforms operating in five countries (France, Germany, Iraq, USA, Türkiye) during the first month of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The findings show that fact-checking platforms are shaped not only by their accuracy criteria but also by how they are positioned within the political and social frameworks of the country in which they are located. © 2025, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. All rights reserved.