Facebook and Twitter got rid of countless pages and accounts coming from Iran that were developed to affect politics and popular opinion in other nations, the most recent relocation by the social networks giants to fight phony news on their platforms.
Facebook stated Thursday that it had actually removed an overall of 783 pages, accounts and groups that were participating in “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” the language Facebook utilizes to explain false information projects managed by individuals utilizing phony or taken identities. Misinformation projects are developed to make use of departments and spread turmoil in targeted nations.
Also on Thursday, Twitter stated it had actually suspended 2,617 harmful accounts connected to Iran considering thatAugust The social media likewise has actually taken down accounts in Bangladesh, Russia and Venezuela.
Nathaniel Gleicher, who runs cybersecurity at Facebook, stated the social media found the issue activity in part after Twitter shared info about the Iran- connected accounts it discovered. A Twitter representative validated the 2 business collaborated to locate Iranian accounts.
“This is an encouraging example of the type of collaboration we’re hoping to build across the industry,” Gleicher stated.
Twitter’s head of website stability, Yoel Roth, stated in a blog post that the business will continue to deal with other tech giants “to better understand and identify malicious activity.”
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The removals are part of a larger push by Facebook and Twitter to detect and remove problem content. Both social networks have come under fire for failing to stop the spread of fake news on their services in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election. Facebook is also seeking to rehabilitate its image after a series of scandals involving the misuse of its members data.
Facebook’s Gleicher said the Iranian campaigns took aim at Facebook and Instagram users in the Middle East and South Asia.
“Anytime you have communities where there is robust conversation happening, where people are congregating, you will see actors trying to target that public debate,” Gleicher said during a conference call to explain the company’s action.Â
The content in the fake accounts was material repurposed from Iranian state media, Gleicher said, but Facebook can’t determine the motive behind the campaigns. The accounts posted about topics such as the relations between Israel and Palestine, as well as the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, according to Facebook. Some of the activity dated back to 2010. Â
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, which analyzed 97 Facebook pages tied to Iran, found that “the pages promoted or amplified views in line with Iranian government’s international stances.”
“The pages posted content with strong bias for the government in Tehran and against the ‘West’ and regional neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel,” the group said in a blog post.Â
Facebook previously uncovered and interrupted influence campaigns from Iran. In August, the social network removed 652 pages, accounts and groups related to an Iranian influence campaign.Â
Gleicher said the decision to remove the posts and accounts was made because the authors lied about their identities, rather than because of the content of the messages.
“In this case, the people behind this activity coordinated with one another and used fake accounts to misrepresent themselves,” Gleicher said in a blog post. “That was the basis for our action.”
Gleicher said Facebook’s actions came after continued investigation into the campaign it uncovered in August. The company is working with US law enforcement and lawmakers, as well as officials in “impacted countries,” he said.
First published Jan. 31, 11:56 a.m. PT
Updates, 12:46 p.m.: Includes comments from conference call; 1:15 p.m.: Includes more background and comment from Twitter; 2:53 p.m.: Includes more background from Twitter. 5:50 p.m.: Includes analysis by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab
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