United States: Facebook dismantles a manipulation of the presidential election
The social network says it has deleted thirteen accounts and pages linked to a Russian organization close to the Kremlin. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic
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2 min
Would the Russians try to influence the US presidential election?
Facebook and Twitter ensure in any case to have foiled attempts at manipulation, less than three months before the election.
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With our correspondent in New York,
Loubna Anaki
It is on information transmitted by the FBI that Facebook intervened.
The social network says it has deleted thirteen accounts and pages linked to a Russian organization close to the Kremlin.
The same organization is accused of
instigating a campaign against Hillary Clinton
and in favor of Donald Trump in 2016.
According to Facebook, the operation was still in its infancy.
Officials had set up a website masquerading as an independent news site.
They had even recruited journalists thinking they were working for a media engaged on the left and had also created fake accounts on the social network to share the site's publications.
Democratic voters targeted
Behind articles dealing with corruption, climate change and social justice, the Russian organization sought to attract the most Democratic readers so that they could then influence them.
For its part, Twitter has also announced the deletion of five accounts.
According to one of the security managers at Facebook, the perpetrators of these manipulation operations are more discreet and difficult to detect, but they would be less effective.
Incidents that once again raise questions about security around the November 3 election.
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