Facebook has uncovered another network of fake accounts that appeared to be linked to Russian intelligence services . As with another recent investigation , the social media platform says the fake accounts tricked real journalists into writing articles about them by posing as editors and media outlets.
Facebook revealed the takedowns, saying the fake accounts had gained about 59,000 followers on its platform and 2,000 on Instagram. The company's head of cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said the accounts in question could also have been used in the "hack-and-leak operations" used by Russia in 2016.
"While we have not seen the networks we removed today participating in these efforts or directly targeting the US , they are linked to actors associated with past interference in the US, including those involved in the 2016 'DC leaks,'" Gleicher wrote.
“These fake individuals posed as editors and researchers, and published articles for websites. This network published primarily in Russian and English about news and current events, including protests and elections in Belarus, Russian and Ukrainian politics, geopolitical conspiracies, Russia-NATO relations, Russia’s relations with neighboring countries, and criticism of U.S. foreign policy, socioeconomic issues in the U.S., and U.S. political candidates on both sides of the political spectrum.”
This isn't the first time Facebook has said it has found fake accounts linked to Russian state entities. Earlier this month, as we reported, the company took down a handful of accounts linked to Internet Research Agency , which successfully tricked US journalists into writing articles for a website called PeaceData.
Facebook's latest takedowns also caught networks of Russian-linked accounts that had targeted Turkey, Syria, Ukraine and other European countries.
