Meta Platforms announced on Friday the removal of a network of fake accounts targeting Russian speakers in Moldova, ahead of the country’s presidential election on October 20. This action was taken for violating the company’s policy on inauthentic accounts.
Moldovan authorities, situated between Romania and Ukraine, reported that they had also blocked numerous Telegram channels and chatbots linked to a scheme aimed at bribing voters to cast “no” ballots in a referendum concerning EU membership, which will coincide with the presidential election.
Pro-European President Maia Sandu is vying for a second term and has positioned the referendum on joining the European Union as a key element of her administration’s agenda.
According to Meta, the removed accounts were involved in posting critical content about Sandu and pro-EU politicians while promoting pro-Russia parties. The company highlighted that its operation focused on approximately a dozen fictitious Russian-language news brands masquerading as independent outlets across various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, OK.ru, and TikTok.
The social media giant removed seven Facebook accounts, 23 pages, one group, and 20 Instagram accounts for breaching its “coordinated inauthentic behavior policy.” Notably, around 4,200 accounts followed at least one of the 23 pages, and approximately 335,000 accounts were linked to the Instagram accounts.
In Chisinau, Moldova’s National Investigation Inspectorate announced the blocking of 15 Telegram channels and 95 chatbots that were reportedly offering monetary incentives to voters, stating that these channels “violated local laws” regarding political party financing.
Related topics:
Lawmakers Press Telecom Giants on Chinese Cyberattack Allegations
FAA Greenlights SpaceX Falcon 9’s Return to Flight Following Investigation