Meta, a company that includes social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, published a report in which Meta noted that it deleted 1,326 Facebook accounts, 80 pages, a group, and an Instagram account aimed at misinforming Moldovans.
Thus, Facebook and Instagram deleted fake accounts that pretended to be residents and posted information about Gagauzia, about the fugitive oligarch Ilan Shore, as well as criticized the current government in Moldova and European integration.
“In Moldova, they published information about Gagauzia, public figures, including sanctioned politician Ilan Shor, and Marina Tauber, a member of the [Constitutionally forbidden] Shor party. They also criticized the incumbent government and the pursuit of EU integration. In particular, they published parody videos about the incumbent president,” the report said.
Users of accounts and groups used VPNs from Lithuania and Transnistria. All advertisements published on social networks were in Romanian, Russian, Malagasy, and French.
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The network of fake accounts also operated a Telegram channel where they published videos featuring parodies of Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
The provided data shows that customers spent $42,000 on social media advertising.
The company noted that sometimes posts on non-political topics appeared on these pages “probably to appear authentic.”
Recall that at the joint press conference of President Maia Sandu and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, held on May 29 in Chisinau, representatives of the Moldovan media asked the Secretary of State why Meta does not block information about Gagauzia and Ilan Shor in social networks, to which the Secretary of State replied that he was incompetent in this matter.