• Facebook, Twitter remove hundreds of accounts tied to Russia and Iran
    5 replies, posted
https://www.dw.com/en/facebook-twitter-remove-hundreds-of-accounts-tied-to-misinformation-campaigns/a-45170565 Facebook Inc announced on Tuesday that it had deleted as many 650 pages, groups and accounts after it found signs of inauthentic user behavior on its site and on Instagram.  The social media company said the accounts belonged to sources identified as part of Russia's military intelligence services. The company also said it uncovered suspicious activities originated from Iran. Facebook said there was no evidence that the disinformation tactics originating from Russia and Iran were in anyway linked. However, both were found to have employed similar tactics when it came to creating "networks of accounts misleading people about what they were doing," Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement. Also on Tuesday, Twitter said it had suspended 284 accounts, mostly originating from Iran, for attempting to engage in coordinated manipulation. Cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc said it had tipped the two social giants over the influence efforts, which began last and continued right up until this month.  "However, it is important to note that the activity does not appear to have been specifically designed to influence the 2018 US midterm elections, as it extends well beyond US  audiences and US politics," FireEye said. Activity from Iran, for example, mainly focused on promoting Iranian propaganda and discussing "anti-Saudi, anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian themes," the cybersecurity firm added. Facebook and Twitter have vowed to shut down accounts found spreading fake news as part of a stealth misinformation campaign ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.
NO COLLUSION WE AREN'T UNDER ATTACK WITCH HUNT!!!
"However, it is important to note that the activity does not appear to have been specifically designed to influence the 2018 US midterm elections, as it extends well beyond US audiences and US politics," FireEye said. Activity from Iran, for example, mainly focused on promoting Iranian propaganda and discussing "anti-Saudi, anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian themes," the cybersecurity firm added.
Just hundreds?
If 1 account reaches 10 people. That's 1 thousand. Those 1 thousand have secondary contacts, which can span in the tens of thousands reached, and even more realistically. It's more than enough to tip the scales in local elections.
The thing about social media is that you don't actually need thousands of accounts. "News" spreads from 1 person fast. Doesn't help that actual news websites are too quick to pick up on those and post them as actual news. Of course you still got your legion of upvote/retweet bots but those rarely post anything.
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