Meta eliminated a large propaganda network of Russian Federation in Europe: hackers have created more than 60 sites

The Russian network worked all summer and has created hundreds of accounts on social networks and dozens of fake news websites to spread Kremlin propaganda about invading Ukraine. Meta stated that she managed to interrupt robot work before they influenced a large audience. Facebook stated that it was the largest and most complex Russian propaganda action since the beginning of military invasion of Ukraine.

Associated Press notes that the Russians used 60 sites, including the British newspaper The Guardian and the German magazine Der Spiegel. Instead of normal news, clones were referenced to Russian propaganda and misinformation about Ukraine. More than 1,600 Facebook accounts have spread propaganda in Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Fake news links were placed on fake accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and Twitter.

Some publications had reports from the official pages of the Russian embassies in Europe and Asia. For the first time, investigators in Germany drew attention to the propagandists' network. When Meta started check, it turned out that many fake accounts had already been deleted the automated Facebook system. Meta stated that they could not directly accuse the network of Russia.

David Agranovych, Meta Director, emphasized the role of diplomats from Russia and said that the operation was based on complex tactics, the use of several languages ​​and the creation of fraudulent websites. Researchers with Meta Platforms Inc. Menlo Park (California, USA) has found a much smaller network in China that accelerated political content in the United States. The network engulfed a small audience in the United States, because the posts were made by amateurs.

The Americans immediately noticed obvious mistakes in English, and published them during working hours for China. Although this network was not effective, it became the first that Meta identified as anti -American. "This network is important because it represents a new direction in Chinese misinformation operations," said META director to calculate Global Threats Ben Nimmo.