Facebook bans troll farm running fake pro-Trump accounts like ‘BlackPeopleVoteForTrump’.
Facebook bans troll farm running fake pro-Trump accounts like ‘BlackPeopleVoteForTrump’
Here come the fake social media accounts trying to sway the 2020
U.S. election.
A foreign troll farm masquerading as African-American supporters
of President Donald Trump was kicked off Facebook on Thursday. The troll farm,
which has been traced back to Romania, was linked to hundreds of pro-Trump
accounts, according to NBC News.
Examples of the deleted accounts include Facebook's "We
Love Our President" page and the Instagram account
“BlackPeopleVoteForTrump."
According to Facebook, the accounts were removed based on
“behavior, not content.” This means that the troll farm ran afoul of the social
media giant’s rules on coordinated inauthentic behavior.
These rules forbid users from doing things such as setting up fake accounts in
order to game Facebook’s algorithm to promote their content.
With the U.S. presidential election just about three months
away, it’s not surprising that online trolls and bad actors would seek to take
advantage of the tense political season. However, one worrying aspect revealed
by Facebook’s head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, is that it did not
appear as if this foreign troll campaign was financially motivated. The social
network says it's currently unclear as to what drove the actors behind the
accounts.
Facebook also revealed to NBC News that it has removed 303
Facebook accounts, 181 Facebook pages, 44 Facebook groups, and 31 Instagram
accounts linked to Epoch Media Group. The organization is best known for its
news outlet: The
Epoch Times, a right wing, pro-Trump newspaper.
According to Facebook, the accounts ultimately led back to a
digital media group called TruthMedia. Accounts connected to TruthMedia posted
content ranging from coronavirus misinformation to conspiracy theories
surrounding U.S. protest movements. Specific TruthMedia accounts had previously
been removed for violating Facebook's content policies prior the social media
company's takedown of the entire network.
In response to the story, Stephen Gregory, publisher of the U.S.
editions of The Epoch Times, said in a written statement, "The Epoch Times
and Epoch Media Group are not in any way linked or related with Truth Media,
nor do we have any involvement in any operation of Truth Media."
Just last month, Facebook removed a
network of pages and accounts for coordinated inauthentic behavior that were
tied to Trump confidante Roger Stone and the far-right Proud Boys group. A few
months before that, Facebook announced that it had taken down a
network of pages and accounts connected to the right-wing, pro-Trump conspiracy
group, QAnon.
There appears to be a pattern with the types of accounts and
networks breaking Facebook’s rules. Expect this behavior to only ramp up as we
get closer and closer to election day on November 3.
Update: 8/7/2020, 11:58 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a statement from Stephen Gregory.
Yeah they like to censor free speech especially when it doesn’t fit their narrative
ReplyDeleteWhy never any articles on how amazing a candidate Biden is?
ReplyDeleteBecause you only read and search out things that align with your bias. You can find them if you go looking for them, but Facebook isn’t personalized news.
Deletesince when? ;D
DeletePlease share them. Keen to learn more about the alternate old white guy who can’t string a sentence together.
DeleteWho?Trump?
DeleteBiden had 43 years in government and did nothing.
DeleteIt only took 6 months for Trump do destroy the U.S., so yeah I get your point.
Deletetoo much generalization bc it is a lie
DeleteDon’t hear many Democrats talking up Biden...too obsessed with hating on the orange dude.
DeleteQuid Pro Quo Biden will restore Political Corruption.
ReplyDeleteIn order to restore something it has to be gone. Trump is undoubtedly the most corrupt president in US history. So you can’t restore something you were left with to begin.
Deleteyour right
Deletetroll
DeleteHere’s another one
Deletehttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/trump-surrounded-by-criminals-michael-cohen-paul-manafort-2018-8%3famp
DeleteRule one don't believe anything you read on Facebook without fact checking, talk about fake media
ReplyDeletefake post
Deletecannot trust these fact checkers either
DeleteI don't use fact trackers I do my own re search if I can be bothered other than that I ignore
DeleteRemove the imposter from the WH. VOTE BLUE all the way through
ReplyDeleteOh you must be for total control then huh. don't complain when your rights get taken away then cause remember, you voted blue
Deletethat’s hilarious given Trump thinks he’s king. He’s disregarded the constitution that your side holds so dearly, and you say nothing....
Deletepeople are getting put into vans for utilizing their right to free speech, and it’s happening under Trump
Deleteput into Van's? Really You cant even have a conservative speak at a college without getting attacked
DeletePlease
trump is the dictator, he will take your SS and where is the great healthcare plan.. He wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire.. ;D ;) ;D
DeleteExample. Prove your point
Deletehttps://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-7A4zkWeMXlZqgnTKtJ
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI gotta see that
Deletehttps://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892277592/federal-officers-use-unmarked-vehicles-to-grab-protesters-in-portland
Deletehttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/oregon-sues-trump-administration-federal-agents-arrest-protesters-1032174/amp/
oh I'm not for Red either, both sides are controlled
Deleteyup, am completely aware nor do I agree with that. Both sides, all presidents since Kennedy have been preselected, bought and paid for.
DeleteObama was absolutely the worst president.
Deleteyour choice
DeleteWhy hasn’t Mashable been banned?
ReplyDelete