Meta platforms disabled a disinformation network after it was found that they operated groups, accounts, and pages that targeted Ukraine on its social networks, as per a statement by the company on Sunday.
Facebook also identified a threat actor, Ghostwriter, who has a track record of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and targeted and compromised many Ukrainian public figures’ accounts.
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The platform saw an increase in the targeting of Ukrainian users with disinformation, and attempts were made to hijack their account in the past few days as Ukraine resists invasion by Russia.
According to Nathanial Gleicher, the head of security policy, Meta has strengthened its cybersecurity team with a unique operation center that quickly takes proactive steps to prevent further escalation to the conflict that has already taken center stage on the global news platform.
The coordinated inauthentic behavior policy of Facebook saw a breach over the last 48 hours that saw fake accounts posting contents and links that suggested western countries having let down Ukraine or Ukraine as a failed state.
The operation spanned multiple platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Telegram, VK, a Russian social network, and independent news websites.
The fake accounts were based in Kyiv with profile images generated using artificial intelligence software and included a former aviation engineer and fictitious news editors.
The campaign was disrupted by Meta, who coordinated with other social networks when the Facebook and Instagram accounts had less than 4000 followers and 500 followers, respectively. Meta is not linking these actions to Russia alone but said that similarities were found to the April 2020 CIB network that connected users in Russia, Crimea, and the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Gleicher said that Ghostwriter successfully hacked a few Ukrainian accounts. The group was alleged to sway voters in German elections earlier by targeting high-profile accounts and obtaining their login credentials to hack their social media accounts and spread disinformation.
One YouTube video showed Ukrainian soldiers waving the white flag and surrendering to the Russian military forces. Facebook secured the compromised accounts and alerted the targeted users, but it declined to identify the people affected.
Facebook continues to be accessed within Russia as per its Security Chief. Still, there are reports about the authorities in Russia throttling or taking down its services after the company rejected the country’s request to block contents within the borders.
