Facebook, Twitter Take Down Global Array of Disinformation Networks

Facebook and Twitter released statements on Thursday saying they had dismantled an array of disinformation networks used by political and state-backed groups in different countries to cheat users on their platforms.

The two companies released separate statements saying they had recognized and taken down more than 3,500 accounts between them, which used fake identities and other content to spread false or misleading information.

The social media sites targeted users from countries across the globe, including the United States where agencies have warned that foreign powers are attempting to influence the results of November’s presidential election.

After coming under sheer pressure for failing to stop alleged Russian efforts to impact the 2016 US election, Facebook and Twitter have released a string of high-profile takedowns in the weeks leading up to this year’s US general election.

On many occasions, the social media firms have worked with US law enforcement agencies to track and stop political influence campaigns targeting US voters which have been linked to foreign states, most notably Iran and Russia.

However, Moscow and Tehran have denied the allegations several times.

The takedowns revealed on Thursday covered large networks with a global reach far beyond the US election. The operations targeted Internet users in at least 16 other countries ranging from Azerbaijan to Nigeria and Japan, Facebook and Twitter said.

Twitter announced the five networks it had dissolved were separately connected to groups with ties to the government of Iran, Cuba, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Russia.

“Our goal with these disclosures is to continue to build public understanding around the ways in which state actors try to abuse and undermine open democratic conversation,” the company said in a statement.

Facebook said it had detected 10 networks, some of which it had previously found publicly. The majority of networks were mainly tied to political groups who aimed domestic audiences, it said, including the Myanmar military and the youth wing of Azerbaijan’s ruling party.

Facebook’s head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher said, “Deceptive campaigns like these raise particularly complex issues by blurring the line of a healthy public debate and manipulation.”

Facebook also imposed ban on a US-based marketing firm named Rally Forge, which it said had cooperated with conservative activism organization Turning Point USA and a self-declared environmental body named Inclusive Conservation Group.

Accounts managed by Rally Forge tried to influence public conversations around news events by filling the comments section of news posts from prominent outlets, Facebook said.

The Washington Post has reported that Turning Point USA was liable for a “spam-like” political messaging campaign, which pumped out 4,500 tweets containing similar content. At the time, Twitter suspended 20 accounts and Facebook said it would investigate the activity.

Turning Point said the accusations linked to a separate entity. “The mistake has been flagged with Facebook’s communication team,” it said in a statement.

Messages left with Rally Forge and its Phoenix area-based president, Jake Hoffman, were not immediately returned. Reuters was unable to reach representatives for Inclusive Conservation Group.