Facebook shuts down an Israeli firm’s effort to influence politics in West Africa

Facebook today said it detected dozens of Facebook accounts that were engaging in what it calls “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” which is the company’s broad phrase for election interference and other forms of public manipulation via news and social media, directed primarily at West African countries. More notable, however, is the source: Israel.

This is the first time Facebook says it’s detected such activity from the country, and Facebook even names an Israeli commercial entity, Archimedes Group, that it says was behind the behavior. The goal ostensibly was to have some type of effect on local elections and the political atmosphere, although Facebook says it can’t divine the exact intentions of the group and there is no indication…

Continue reading…

from The Verge – All Posts http://bit.ly/2VpfBtG
via IFTTT