Facebook eliminates 32 accounts accused of election interference
Los Angeles, Aug 1 : Facebook announced on Tuesday that it eliminated 32 accounts for what the company described as "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" ahead of the mid-term US congressional elections in November.
"This kind of behaviour is not allowed on Facebook because we don't want people or organisations creating networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they're doing," Facebook said in a statement, Efe reported.
The social network founded by Mark Zuckerberg found itself at the center of controversy during the 2016 presidential election for the use of its platform to disseminate hoaxes and fake news.
"We're still in the very early stages of our investigation and don't have all the facts - including who may be behind this," Facebook acknowledged, while adding that "whoever set up these accounts went to much greater lengths to obscure their true identities than the Russian-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) has in the past."
IRA is accused by Facebook and the US Department of Justice of having played a key role in the campaign of hoaxes and fake news on controversial and divisive issues designed to try to influence the 2016 election in which Donald Trump won the White House.
In the current probe, the tech giant eliminated eight Facebook pages and 17 profiles, as well as seven Instagram accounts.
"In total, more than 290,000 accounts followed at least one of these pages, the earliest of which was created in March 2017," said Facebook.
Among the deleted pages was one called "Resisters," which had created a Facebook Event - "No Unite the Right 2-DC" - a counterdemonstration to Unite the Right 2-DC, which had been called by the ultraright for Aug. 12 in Washington.
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Will Champai Soren become a game-changer for BJP in Jharkhand polls?
Ranchi: Champai Soren, a prominent figure in Jharkhand’s statehood movement, is contesting the 2024 assembly elections from Seraikela, a seat he has consistently held since 1991.
However, there is a surprising shift in his political journey this year. Having resigned from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) earlier this year, Soren is now representing the BJP, a move that could significantly impact the electoral dynamics in the state.
Soren’s switiching is seen as a strategic benefit for the saffron party, which has been working to expand its appeal among Jharkhand’s tribal communities, a demographic traditionally aligned with the JMM. His departure from the JMM, led by Shibu Soren and his son Hemant Soren, was fueled by dissatisfaction with the state government’s policies, which he claimed had failed to address tribal concerns.
Also known as "Jharkhand’s Tiger" for his instrumental role in the statehood movement of the 1990s, Champai Soren has respect and influence among tribal voters. His decision to switch the party could be a turning point in the BJP’s efforts to gain a stronger hold in a state where tribal votes often decide the outcome.
