Meta Shuts Down Chinese and Russian-run Facebook and Instagram Pages Trying to Influence U.S. Elections

With the midterm elections happening in a few weeks, social media companies are now going after foreign-run websites believed to be trying to influence local elections.

Meta, the parent company for Facebook and Instagram, revealed that they have uncovered several fake accounts being run from Russia and China that are posting on both sides of the political spectrum to influence the voters.

A Meta spokesperson told CNN that the company has already shared details of the Chinese accounts with the FBI. This was the first time that the company targeted accounts run from China. However, the Russian influence campaign was vast.

According to Meta's official statement, they took down two unconnected networks in China and Russia for violating their policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior.

CNN has reached out to other companies like YouTube and Twitter. A Twitter spokesperson told them that they are also investigating the information referenced in Meta's report and are taking enforcement actions on accounts that violate the Twitter Rules.

China's Efforts to Divide Americans Further Using Social Media

Meta stated that the pages of Chinese origin ran across multiple social media platforms. The first one targeted U.S. domestic politics ahead of the 2022 midterms, while another aimed to stir the Czech Republic's foreign policy toward China.

"They were running fake accounts that pretended to be Americans and try to talk like Americans and they were talking about really divisive domestic issues like abortion and gun control," Meta global threat intelligence lead told CNN in an interview.

Meta also revealed that the Chinese-run accounts stuck to a pattern that coincided with a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday work schedule during working hours in China.

The company did admit that these Chinese sites were still a small operation and have not been able to build a meaningful audience yet. However, with social media, their posts can be shared rapidly and become viral at any moment, which is what makes them dangerous.

Russian Efforts Included Fake Versions of Legitimate News Websites Like The Guardian

While the Chinese operation was relatively small, the network of Russian accounts was complex. Meta even described it as the "largest and most complex Russian operation" they have disrupted since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

The company managed to uncover a network of over 6 websites, all impersonating legitimate news organizations, and have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, Twitter, and other sites. This included over 2,000 Facebook accounts and pages, and all were trying to push pro-Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine.

One of the websites that these fake accounts were mimicking is the legitimate news website, The Guardian. Their report stated that the websites were designed to mimic real Western news outlets, including themselves.

These mimic websites posted fake news, including the fake version of The Guardian, which posted an article accusing Ukraine of murdering civilians during the Russian occupation of Bucha. However, Meta noted that the mimicry was not perfect, but showed an investment to make the sites appear perfect.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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