French, Russian trolls meddle in CAR vote: Facebook
DISINFORMATION: The company said that it suspended three networks totaling almost 500 accounts and pages for so-called ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior’
Reuters, LONDON
Rival French and Russian disinformation campaigns have sought to deceive Internet users and unmask each other in the Central African Republic (CAR) ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections on Dec. 27, Facebook said on Tuesday.
Facebook said that it was the first time that it had seen such a direct battle of trolls by competing foreign states on its platforms, with the rivals’ fake accounts denouncing each other as “fake news.”
The company said that it had suspended three networks totaling almost 500 accounts and pages for so-called “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”
French and Russian trolls wrestle for influence in Africa, Facebook says
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French and Russian trolls wrestle for influence in Africa, Facebook says - Africa - World
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UPDATE 1-French and Russian trolls duke it out in Central Africa election, Facebook says
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Facebook has said rival French and Russian disinformation campaigns are seeking to deceive internet users – and unmask each other – in the Central African Republic (CAR) before presidential and parliamentary elections on December 27.
The social media giant said on Tuesday it was the first time it had seen such a direct battle of the trolls by competing foreign states on its platforms, with the rivals’ fake accounts denouncing each other as “fake news”.
The company said it had suspended three networks totalling almost 500 accounts and pages for so-called “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”.
One network was linked to “individuals associated with French military”, it said. The other two had connections to “individuals associated with past activity by the Russian Internet Research Agency”, as well as to Evgeny Prigozhin, a Russian businessman indicted in the United States for election interference.