Meta.Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesFacebook parent company Meta announced Tuesday ithas removed"two covert influence operations" stemming from China and Russia that focused in part on “US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections.“In a report, Meta said one of the operations “ran across multiple social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and two Czech petition platforms.““This was the first Chinese network we disrupted that focused on US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections, as well as Czechia’s foreign policy toward China and Ukraine,” Meta said in its report.The company said it also took down “a large network that originated in Russia and targeted primarily Germany, and also France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom with narratives focused on the war in Ukraine.“That operation entailed spoof versions of websites such as The Guardian and Der Spiegel with “articles that criticized Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, supported Russia and argued that Western sanctions on Russia would backfire.““They would then promote these articles and also original memes and YouTube videos across many internet services, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, petition websites Change.org and Avaaz, and even LiveJournal,” Meta said.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.According to Meta’s global threat intel lead Ben Nimmo, the Chinese operation “played both sides of US” political debates, focusing on hot-button issues including gun control and abortion.“First, they posed as conservatives: criticised liberals, call for gun rights and abortion restrictions. Then they flipped: posed as liberals, criticised conservatives, called for gun restrictions and abortion rights,” Nimmo wrote in a thread posted to Twitter.As Nimmo explained, the scam failed to build an audience, with the eight Facebook pages in question having a combined following of just 20 accounts.“But it looks like they were trying to find a window into US debate. While small/failed, it’s important to report and remain vigilant ahead of the midterms,” Nimmo added.There were other mistakes that made it clear the accounts were not based in the US: “Their language wasn’t great. They worked a 9-5 schedule, Chinese working hrs. So their ‘US’ posts landed in the middle of the US night.”
Meta.Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Facebook parent company Meta announced Tuesday ithas removed"two covert influence operations” stemming from China and Russia that focused in part on “US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections.“In a report, Meta said one of the operations “ran across multiple social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and two Czech petition platforms.““This was the first Chinese network we disrupted that focused on US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections, as well as Czechia’s foreign policy toward China and Ukraine,” Meta said in its report.The company said it also took down “a large network that originated in Russia and targeted primarily Germany, and also France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom with narratives focused on the war in Ukraine.“That operation entailed spoof versions of websites such as The Guardian and Der Spiegel with “articles that criticized Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, supported Russia and argued that Western sanctions on Russia would backfire.““They would then promote these articles and also original memes and YouTube videos across many internet services, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, petition websites Change.org and Avaaz, and even LiveJournal,” Meta said.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.According to Meta’s global threat intel lead Ben Nimmo, the Chinese operation “played both sides of US” political debates, focusing on hot-button issues including gun control and abortion.“First, they posed as conservatives: criticised liberals, call for gun rights and abortion restrictions. Then they flipped: posed as liberals, criticised conservatives, called for gun restrictions and abortion rights,” Nimmo wrote in a thread posted to Twitter.As Nimmo explained, the scam failed to build an audience, with the eight Facebook pages in question having a combined following of just 20 accounts.“But it looks like they were trying to find a window into US debate. While small/failed, it’s important to report and remain vigilant ahead of the midterms,” Nimmo added.There were other mistakes that made it clear the accounts were not based in the US: “Their language wasn’t great. They worked a 9-5 schedule, Chinese working hrs. So their ‘US’ posts landed in the middle of the US night.”
Facebook parent company Meta announced Tuesday ithas removed"two covert influence operations” stemming from China and Russia that focused in part on “US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections.”
In a report, Meta said one of the operations “ran across multiple social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and two Czech petition platforms.”
“This was the first Chinese network we disrupted that focused on US domestic politics ahead of the midterm elections, as well as Czechia’s foreign policy toward China and Ukraine,” Meta said in its report.
The company said it also took down “a large network that originated in Russia and targeted primarily Germany, and also France, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom with narratives focused on the war in Ukraine.”
That operation entailed spoof versions of websites such as The Guardian and Der Spiegel with “articles that criticized Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees, supported Russia and argued that Western sanctions on Russia would backfire.”
“They would then promote these articles and also original memes and YouTube videos across many internet services, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Twitter, petition websites Change.org and Avaaz, and even LiveJournal,” Meta said.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to Meta’s global threat intel lead Ben Nimmo, the Chinese operation “played both sides of US” political debates, focusing on hot-button issues including gun control and abortion.
“First, they posed as conservatives: criticised liberals, call for gun rights and abortion restrictions. Then they flipped: posed as liberals, criticised conservatives, called for gun restrictions and abortion rights,” Nimmo wrote in a thread posted to Twitter.
As Nimmo explained, the scam failed to build an audience, with the eight Facebook pages in question having a combined following of just 20 accounts.
“But it looks like they were trying to find a window into US debate. While small/failed, it’s important to report and remain vigilant ahead of the midterms,” Nimmo added.
There were other mistakes that made it clear the accounts were not based in the US: “Their language wasn’t great. They worked a 9-5 schedule, Chinese working hrs. So their ‘US’ posts landed in the middle of the US night.”
source: people.com
