Facebook, Twitter, Alphabet break Iran, Russia propaganda

IRANIAN ACTIVITY WAS AIMED AT USERS IN THE US, UK, LATIN AMERICA AND MIDDLE EAST AND INCLUDED ANTISAUDI, ANTIISRAELI, AND PROPALESTINIAN THEMES

SANFRANCISCO/WASHINGTON: Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc collectively removed hundreds of accounts tied to an alleged Iranian propaganda operation on Tuesday, while Facebook took down a second campaign it said was linked to Russia.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the accounts identified on his company’s platform were part of two separate campaigns, the first from Iran with some ties to state-owned media, the second linked to sources which Washington has previously named as Russian military intelligence services.

Officials in Iran, where it is a holiday to mark the Muslim Eid al-adha festival, were not immediately available to comment. Moscow has repeatedly denied using hacking or fake social media accounts to influence foreign elections. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move by Facebook and others is the latest attempt by global social media giants to guard against political interference on their platforms. It comes as concerns are rising about foreign attempts to disrupt the US midterm elections in November.

The US earlier this year indicted 13 Russians for alleged attempts to meddle in US politics, but the latest alleged Iranian activity, exposed by cybersecurity firm Fireeye Inc, suggests the problem may be more widespread.

“It really shows it’s not just Russia that engages in this type of activity,” Lee Foster, an information operations analyst with Fireeye, told Reuters.

Fireeye said the Iranian campaign used a network of fake news websites and fraudulent social media personas spread across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Plus and Youtube, to push narratives in line with Tehran’s interests.