Fact Check: Las Vegas Sphere Israeli Flag Image Is Photoshopped, as Confirmed by Socmed

The Las Vegas Sphere Israeli flag controversy is going viral on Instagram, X, and other social media platforms. Because it looked so real, many netizens quickly believed the image; sparking criticisms against Las Vegas city.

However, social media fact-checkers finally debunked it, confirming that the image showing the Las Vegas Sphere displaying Israel's flag was photoshopped.

Las Vegas Sphere Israeli Flag Display is Photoshopped

According to USA Today's latest report, an Instagram account (colliveofficial) posted a photo of the Las Vegas Sphere projecting the Israeli flag.

"The Sphere in Las Vegas, NV was lit up with an Israeli flag, as hundreds rallied in the city in solidarity with the country of Israel and its people who are under attack," said the IG user in its caption.

When it was first posted on Instagram, users could easily view the image without any warning. Now, Instagram blurs the photo, explaining that "independent fact-checkers say this photo could mislead people."

If you click the "See Why" button, you will see that Instagram concluded that the content is an altered photo/video. The image and other similar photos were reposted on Facebook, X, and other online platforms.

But, these social media sites also tagged the fake Las Vegas Sphere images as altered/photoshopped. Independent fact checkers clarified that numerous monuments really did display the Israeli flags as a sign of support to the Middle Eastern country after the deadly October 7 Hamas attack.

However, they reiterated that the Las Vegas Sphere didn't participate in this trend. Instead, the popular sphere projected an animated jack-o'-lantern on Tuesday, Oct. 10, and displayed an advertisement for the band U2 on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

Although fact checkers were able to debunk the fake Las Vegas Sphere Israeli flag image, thousands of netizens already viewed the altered photos; and many of them believe they're authentic.

False Information About Israel-Hamas War on the Rise

The arrival of AIs and other similar tools is helping social media content become better. However, fake news spreaders are also taking advantage of these technologies.

NPR reported that many malicious actors are spreading fake videos and images showing what's happening during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

One of these is a video, which shows a Hamas terrorist shooting down an Israeli helicopter. But, fact-checkers debunked this content, saying that it's not real footage, but a clip from the "Arma 3" video game.

Aside from edited videos and photoshopped images, fake voice messages are also spreading on WhatsApp and other messaging platforms. Among these is an unverified voice message claiming that a military leader urges people to stock up on groceries, fuel, and cash.

Of course, this unverified voice recording is also a fake one. You can click this link to see other debunked false videos, images, and voice messages that are spreading online.