Facebook suspends 5,381 accounts for coordinated inauthentic behaviour

In its latest effort to cleanse its platforms,
Facebook has suspended 5,381 malicious accounts, groups and pages from its main
network and Instagram, according to a report by IANS. The accounts have been
removed from eight networks in seven countries.

According to the report cited by the
source, 2,784 Facebook accounts, 206 Instagram accounts, 2,249 pages and 142
groups were removed in the month of June.

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Facebook suspended 675 Facebook
accounts, 16 pages and 10 Instagram accounts in Iraq and Iran. The accounts
reportedly targeted audiences in Iraq and were linked to Al-Mareef Radio in
Iraq and Alborz Analysis and Development, an information technology firm based
out of Tehran.

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In Mexico, Facebook removed 1,621
Facebook accounts, 1,795 pages, 75 groups and 93 Instagram accounts that focused
on the state of Campeche and were linked to people in the state. The removed
accounts included those of individuals working for Worgcorp, a political
strategy and public relations firm.

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“We found this activity as part of our
internal investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behaviour in the
region and removed it ahead of Mexican elections,” Facebook said in a
statement.

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“When we find domestic, non-government
campaigns that include groups of accounts and Pages seeking to mislead people
about who they are and what they are doing while relying on fake accounts, we
remove both inauthentic and authentic accounts, Pages and Groups directly
involved in this activity,” Facebook added.