Facebook takes down misinformation networks linked to QAnon

By Will Nicol May 5, 2020

Facebook removed hundreds of accounts and pages involved in manipulating public debate, many based out of Russia and Iran, in April, the company announced on Tuesday, May 5.

Domestic accounts in the U.S. linked to QAnon conspiracy theorists were also removed as part of Facebook’s latest salvo against misinformation, according to the latest Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior Report.

According to the report, Facebook removed over 700 accounts and nearly 800 pages in April, noting that although all of them had been created before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, they had begun using coronavirus-related posts to develop their audiences.

The report claims that Russian and Iranian networks were engaged in international campaigns, posting in numerous languages and targeting a variety of regions. The report implicates two Crimean news organizations as well as Islamic Republic Broadcasting of Iran, the country’s dominant news network.

The company defines coordinated inauthentic behavior as “coordinated efforts to manipulate public debate for a strategic goal where fake accounts are central to the operation” either by “domestic, non-state” operations or, more seriously, foreign governments.

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Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…

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