Facebook: We have removed pages intending to interfere in the US elections

Facebook has announced that it has identified a new coordinated political campaign aimed at interfering in the upcoming elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate in the United States. These elections are set to take place in about three months. On Tuesday, August 8, Facebook stated that it has removed 32 pages and accounts from Facebook and Instagram to counter foreign efforts to interfere in US elections. The American company also indicated that the intent of these pages and accounts was to mislead users and organize rallies ahead of the elections. According to Reuters, Facebook officials told reporters on a phone call that an account belonging to the Russian 'Internet Research Agency' was jointly managed for seven minutes with one of these fake pages. However, these officials emphasized that this evidence alone cannot be attributed to the Russian government. Last year, Facebook stated that a Russian campaign aimed to interfere in the 2016 presidential election in the US through advertising and content dissemination on Facebook. The US Department of Justice confirmed in late July the Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 elections and indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers for their involvement. Following this, Washington imposed sanctions against Moscow. President Donald Trump acknowledged that Russia interfered in that election but insisted that this interference did not affect the election outcome. Moscow has consistently denied allegations of interference in the US presidential elections. This time, however, Facebook emphasized that its investigation is still in the early stages, and so far, it has not identified any specific group or government responsible for managing these pages and accounts. Facebook has reiterated its commitment to continue its efforts to combat this campaign. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's Chief Operating Officer, told reporters that simultaneous with Facebook's efforts, such attempts to influence public opinion are likely to become more complex. In this regard, Adam Schiff, a senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on Facebook to continue its efforts, adding that Facebook's announcement indicates that foreign malicious actors, whose campaign signs resemble those of previous Russian campaigns, continue their attempts to exploit social media and influence US elections. Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the committee, stated that a report on online threats to US election security is to be presented in the House. He described the goal of these online activities as creating dissent and distrust and 'undermining public faith' in the principles and political system of the US, adding, 'The Russians want a weak America.' The US Secretary of Homeland Security, on July 23, quoted his country's security officials as saying that Russia continues its efforts to create 'division' among American citizens using social media and other means. Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate, warned Russia on July 27 not to interfere in the upcoming November elections for the House and Senate, adding that the Senate is likely to propose new measures to intensify sanctions against Russia.