By Craig Timberg and Craig Timberg National reporter covering technology Email Bio Follow Tony Romm Tony Romm Staff writer covering technology policy Email Bio Follow May 16 at 4:49 PM Facebook said i
t shut down 265 fake accounts run by an Israeli social media company on Thursday for engaging in “coordinated inauthentic behavior” as it sought to affect politics in African, Latin American and Southeast Asian nations.
The fake accounts were on both Facebook and its photo-sharing sister site, Instagram, the company said. Archimedes Group is now banned from both. Facebook said the Archimedes Group had 65 Facebook accounts, 161 Facebook pages, 23 Facebook groups and four Instagram accounts. It also had posted 12 Facebook events. About 2.8 million accounts followed at least one of the pages set up by the Archimedes Group, and the company’s accounts bought $812,000 in ads using various currencies, dating back to 2012, according to Facebook.
“The useful thing about the ads is it gives us high confidence it was Archimedes, but it doesn’t give us high confidence who was paying Archimedes," said Graham Brookie, the director of the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council."It shows one of the vulnerabilities of some of [Facebook’s] transparency tools.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Facebook busts Israel-based campaign to disrupt elections in various countriesFacebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation.
Read more »
Facebook says removes 265 'fake accounts' linked to IsraelFacebook said on Thursday it had removed 265 Facebook and Instagram accounts, pa...
Read more »
Want to watch the Eurovision 2019 semifinals from the U.S.? Here's what you need to knowThe competition is being hosted in Tel Aviv, Israel, this year.
Read more »
Polish ambassador spat at in Israel amid rising tensionsPoland's ambassador to Israel was spat at while sitting in his car in Tel A...
Read more »
Reporters Without Borders demands Israel release Anadolu Agency journalistPress freedom NGO says Mustafa Al-Kharouf should be released from prison and threats to drop the stateless Palestinian to Jordan, in which he has no legal right to reside, should be dropped.
Read more »
Polish PM condemns attack on ambassador on streets of IsraelPolish prime minister condemns 'xenophobic' attack on country's ambassador to Israel on a Tel Aviv street
Read more »
Israel-UAE rapprochement event draws fire in WashingtonUAE co-hosted an event in Washington on Tuesday and experts urge caution saying the fostering ties between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv will complicate conflicts in Palestine and Yemen
Read more »
Candy Giant Mars Will Build A Food Tech Research Hub In Israel With Jerusalem Venture PartnersThe $35 billion maker of M&M's and Snickers aims to create a research and development center in Israel that's dedicated to scaling and commercializing tech solutions that touch any aspect of the global food system, from farming to nutrition.
Read more »
Nearly 50 Palestinians wounded in 'Catastrophe' anniversary protests on Gaza-Israel borderIsraeli troops wounded nearly 50 Palestinians at the Gaza border on Wednesday du...
Read more »