Facebook Shuts Down Network of Ukraine-Based, Pro-Trump Pages Recycling Russian Troll Farm Memes

[babylonsister]

Facebook Shuts Down Network of Ukraine-Based, Pro-Trump Pages Recycling Russian Troll Farm Memes
by Colin Kalmbacher | 6:39 pm, September 23rd, 2019


Facebook removed several pages supporting President Donald Trump which were managed by Ukrainians on Monday after media attention focused on their ties to the Internet Research Agency (IRA).

The IRA (not to be confused with the left-wing Irish nationalist and occasional terrorist organization) is ostensibly a member of the Russian private sector but is widely believed to be influenced in part by the Kremlin. The February 16 indictment filed by former special counsel Robert Mueller alleged that thirteen individuals and various legal entities, “posing as U.S. persons and creating false U.S. personas, operated social media pages and groups designed to attract U.S. audiences” during the 2016 presidential election.

According to independent journalist and ThinkProgress alum Judd Legum, the legacy of IRA trolls has more or less lived on through a number of Facebook pages run by individuals based in Ukraine.

In a Popular Information post about the “complex network” of Facebook pages spreading pro-Trump memes, Legum notes that the “I Love America” Facebook page had a massive reach of “1.1 million fans, with viral content that reaches more Facebook users than some of the largest media outlets in the United States.”

All told, Legum says, the network of pro-Trump pages from the Ukraine identified in the report were able to reach more eyeballs than either the New York Times or the Washington Post.

Each of the Ukrainian pages apparently accrued large audiences by “posting memes about patriotism, Jesus, and cute dogs,” according to Legum. Eventually those pages began posting pro-Trump memes, cross-posting to other pro-Trump pages and disseminating “incendiary” content which “frequently includes misinformation.”

Per that report:

While the “I Love America” page was created in 2017, in recent weeks it has cross-posted content from explicitly pro-Trump pages, including “Click Like, if you love Donald Trump as much as we do. TRUMP 2020,” “God bless Donald Trump and God bless America,” and “God bless Donald and Melania Trump and God bless America.” All of these pages, which were created in the last few months, are managed exclusively by people based in Ukraine.

more...

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/facebook-shuts-down-network-of-ukraine-based-pro-trump-pages-recycling-russian-troll-farm-memes/?fbclid=IwAR2ZMo01JX5gqnX04ICiqj-kChn0OqwgHbPdj8FNOVOmGQR0wsQNRiXsTp8

[applegrove]

1. Maybe during elections Facebook should put the name of the country

the account is from up front and center.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. We were warned of this happening.

Media are such dupes.

[Hekate]

3. Well, it is a start. Zuck needs to go much further to lean up FB. nt

[PDittie]

4. No excuses now.

Facebook to the rescue!