Meta Reports Dismantling of Russian Propaganda Campaigns Ahead of Elections

In its latest quarterly Adversarial Threat Report, Meta revealed the dismantling of five Russian propaganda campaigns over the past three months, with three specifically targeting Americans and English speakers. These campaigns primarily aimed to undermine support for Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict following Russia's invasion in 2022. Some efforts also reached Ukrainian and French-speaking audiences. While Meta did not directly link these operations to the Russian government, it noted that one campaign had been previously sanctioned by the U.S. for taking orders from the Kremlin. The report highlighted a second campaign involving social media accounts associated with a seemingly fictitious think tank, which spread misinformation about Ukrainian migrants and criticized the Ukrainian government’s ability to protect its citizens. Meta's investigation was initiated based on a tip from the FBI, which had previously suspended its operations due to a lawsuit by Republican state attorneys general against the U.S. government. The FBI resumed its activities in March after the Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in June. David Agranovich, Meta’s security policy director, emphasized that the persistence of these propaganda efforts does not necessarily equate to influence over public opinion. He noted a significant shift in focus from broader cultural issues to specifically targeting support for Ukraine, suggesting that future Russian attempts may increasingly intersect with election-related discussions. Meta's approach centers on identifying and removing "coordinated inauthentic behavior," rather than policing user content directly. The company did not disclose details regarding the hiring of a Vietnamese network involved in these campaigns.