Meta Disrupts Covert Influence Operations Linked To Iran
Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it thwarted five foreign adversary-linked social networks in its recent quarterly threat report.
Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it thwarted five foreign adversary-linked social networks in its recent quarterly threat report.
The comprehensive report sheds light on the covert influence operations eliminated by Meta, underscoring the large scope of these activities that extended beyond the social networks directly owned by the company.
One of these operations involved the collaborative efforts by elements in Turkey and Iran, resulting in the removal of 22 Facebook accounts, 21 Pages, and seven Instagram accounts. The operation primarily targeted individuals within Turkey, utilizing seemingly independent news sources disseminated through the created pages.
Supportive content about the Islamic Republic and Palestine, coverage of speeches by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and critical notes regarding Israel, the United States, the Turkish government, and the Justice and Development Party of Turkey were among the fabricated content disseminated by this fake network.
During the removal process, Meta identified a recurring challenge posed by covert operations employing doppelganger accounts to impersonate legitimate news outlets or brands. The report specifically underscored the risks associated with domain registration and tactics where malicious actors acquire domains closely resembling official ones, often incorporating common typing errors. These deceptive strategies are aimed at misleading users into believing they are accessing official websites.
Despite Meta's actions to remove pages affiliated with these operations from its platforms, these deceptive websites persist and continue to propagate misinformation.
