Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc. has acted early in removing disinformation prior to Moldova’s presidential election that will be held on October 20. The tech giant said it deleted a cluster of fake accounts mainly targeting the nation’s Russian-speaking audience and promoting a prejudiced approach to the pro-Western president Maia Sandu and other pro-Russian political parties.
This operation required an array of about ten to twelve Russian-language news brands that appeared to be distinct media sources. These accounts worked on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, OK.ru, TikTok, and other platforms to convey a fake image of the population opinion in Moldova. The accounts were found to be synchronizing their activities to whip up anti-(President) Sandu sentiments in the country as she prepares for the polls amid pro- and anti-Russian factions.
Meta was able to take down seven Facebook accounts and moderations, 23 pages, one group, and 20 Instagram accounts for violating Meta’s “coordinated inauthentic behavior” policy. As for the company’s influence, the company noted that 4,200 followed at least one of the pages, while around 335000 were associated with the Instagram accounts. Worrying, many of these followers could be observed out of Moldova, which added to the illusion of popularity and credibility for the disinformation campaigns.
Since the time of Moldova’s gaining independence, the government of this country has been worried by Moscow’s attempts to influence the developments of democratic elections. MoD Putin criticism: Using MFA Putin’s words, President Sandu has been accused of inciting “russophobia” within her administration. While Moldova deals with these external pressures, such action shows that Meta is keen on maintaining the sanctity of the democratic elections and the fight against manipulation of the users of social media platforms.
Averagely, the voter turnout in this small Eastern European nation rises as the election approaches, and as the tsunami of geopolitical anxieties across the world is escalating, the world becomes keen on how this nation will dance its political politics.
