Facebook’s critics ‘were smeared as anti-Semitic’

FACEBOOK paid spin doctors to smear critics and dismiss attacks on the site as anti-Semitic, it has been claimed.

A damning dossier also alleges Facebook knew about Russian meddling in elections months before the company came clean.

Meanwhile billionaire George Soros – who is himself Jewish – is said to have been a top target for the firm’s public relations team, with claims he could be behind a broad anti-Facebook movement.

The social network has spent months trying to clean up its image, with its reputation taking another hit from the Cambridge Analytica data scandal earlier this year. But the New York Times has uncovered murky tactics allegedly used by the web giant to deflect criticism.

Protesters in the US last year held signs showing founder Mark Zuckerberg and deputy Sheryl Sandberg – who are both Jewish – as an octopus with tentacles around the world.

Facebook reportedly contacted Jewish civil rights group the AntiDefamation League, who described the image as an ‘anti-Semitic trope’. The comment, picked up in the media, was part of a scheme to discredit those criticising the company, according to the newspaper.

Other tactics allegedly included telling reporters to investigate links between businessman Mr Soros and an anti-Facebook movement, as well as planting negative press coverage about rivals.

In the wake of the New York Times revelations, Facebook has sacked Definers, the PR company which lead the campaign.

Mr Zuckerberg is also said to have been so infuriated by attacks from Apple boss Tim Cook that he told managers to use Android devices instead of iPhones. Last night Facebook said this was because Android’s operating system is ‘the most popular in the world’. According to the exposé, security chief Alex Stamos admitted the website was struggling to stamp out the ‘bad actors’ before Russian meddling was revealed.

It was also alleged that when Mr Zuckerberg dismissed suggestions that Facebook had any involvement in election meddling in 2016, security experts at the firm had already found evidence of this happening.

Later, in a white paper about the issue, the company was intentionally vague, it was claimed.

A Facebook spokesman said last night: ‘The story asserts that we knew about Russian activity as early as the spring of 2016 but were slow to investigate. This is not true.’ The firm added in a blog post: ‘We did not name Russia in our April 2017 white paper – but instead cited a US Government report... because we felt that the US Director of National Intelligence was best placed to determine the source.’

Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons culture committee, said: ‘A damning story about Facebook which underlines why we need to hold their top people to account.’

Patrick Gaspard, president of Mr Soros’ Open Society Foundations, described the alleged tactics as ‘out of Putin’s playbook’. The organisation has called for an independent investigation into Facebook.

Last month former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg was accused of hypocrisy after joining Facebook on a salary of more than £1million. He had previously criticised the company for paying too little tax.

‘Out of Putin’s playbook’