Facebook Busts Israel-Based Campaign to Disrupt Elections
Although Facebook said the individuals behind the network attempted to conceal their identities, it discovered that many were linked to the Archimedes Group, a Tel Aviv-based political consulting and lobbying firm that boasts of its social media skills and ability to “change reality.”
Gleicher said Facebook could not speculate about Archimedes’ motives, which “may be commercial or political or for some other strategic goal.”
But he said Facebook discovered “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” with accounts posing on behalf of certain political candidates, smearing their opponents and presenting as local news organizations peddling supposedly leaked information.
“Our team assessed that because this group is primarily organized to conduct deceptive behavior, we are removing them from the platform and blocking them from coming back,” said Gleicher.
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