Facebook Removes Hundreds of Accounts Over ‘Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior’
Company says many of the accounts were linked to Russia or Iran
Sean Burch | August 21, 2018 @ 6:08 PM
Last Updated: August 21, 2018 @ 6:09 PM
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Facebook has removed hundreds of pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram due to what it called “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” Nathaniel Gleicher, the company’s head of cybersecurity, said Tuesday in a post to the company news blog.
According to Gleicher, some of the removed accounts “originated” in Iran or Russia. However, Gleicher clarified that these were “distinct campaigns,” and that Facebook didn’t identify “any link or coordination between them.”
The company removed 652 Facebook and Instagram accounts associated with “Liberty Front Press,” which it says it linked to “Iranian state media through publicly available website registration information, as well as the use of related IP addresses and Facebook Pages sharing the same admins.” These pages primarily posted political content connected to the Middle East, the UK, U.S., and Latin America.
Facebook says it also found links between “Liberty Front Press” and “another set of accounts and pages” created in 2016 that, according to Gleicher, posed as news organizations and conducted cybersecurity attacks. In all, Facebook says, about 170,000 users followed pages tied to “Liberty Front Press.”
The purge stems from a tip Facebook says it received from cybersecurity firm FireEye last month.
Separately, Facebook removed an undisclosed amount of pages tied to Russian military intelligence, the company said. The company said its working with law enforcement on its investigation into the removed accounts.
10 Most Shocking Russian Troll Posts on Facebook and Instagram, From Hillary Clinton to Police Brutality (Photos)
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.
House Intelligence Committee
Many posts pushed the narrative that Hillary Clinton would confiscate guns if she were elected President.
House Intelligence Committee
This graphic meme painted cops as KKK members attacking a young black child.
House Intelligence Committee
Only "sissies" and other undesirables wouldn't support Donald Trump, many of the memes said.
House Intelligence Committee
President Obama was a "pawn" and "traitor" in the hands of "Arabian Sheikhs," said one 2016 ad.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Black Matters US" page touched on hot button issues like police shootings.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Army of Jesus" page shared a bible verse, along with this meme.
House Intelligence Committee
Russian trolls also used Instagram to spread sponsored political memes.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Blacktivist" page routinely shared memes on Colin Kaepernick and other football players kneeling during the national anthem.
House Intelligence Committee
"Heart of Texas" routinely posted on "Killary Rotten Clinton," and threatened to secede from the union if she won the election.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Being Patriotic" page labeled ex-cons as "Obama voters."
House Intelligence Committee
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Congress just released 3,500 posts touching on a myriad of topics
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.