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Facebook Removes Fake Pages, Citing Plot to Influence Midterm Elections

HeadlineAug 01, 2018

Facebook says it has removed more than two dozen pages and accounts after uncovering a plot to covertly influence the upcoming midterm elections. The tech giant says the accounts were involved in “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Among the accounts were “Black Elevation,” “Mindful Being,” “Resisters,” “Aztlan Warriors.” Combined, the accounts had a total of 290,000 followers and had created 30 events since April 2017, including a Facebook event to organize a protest against the upcoming “Unite the Right” rally in Washington, D.C. Facebook said it did not have enough technical evidence to state who was behind the fake pages, but said the accounts engaged in some similar activity to pages tied to Russia before the 2016 election. The revelations come as Facebook continues to grapple with a number of controversies in the United States and abroad. The Senate Intelligence Committee is holding a hearing today on social media and interference by foreign intelligence agencies. After headlines, we’ll spend the rest of the hour talking about Facebook.

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