Meta Removes Fake Account Network On Facebook And Instagram Originating From Iran

, Meta Platforms, has removed a network of fake accounts originating in Iran. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA – Facebook's parent company, Meta Platforms, has removed a network of fake accounts originating from Iran. According to the Meta Investigator on Thursday 19 January, the network of fake accounts is believed to have targeted Instagram users in Scotland with content supporting Scottish independence.

The network used fake accounts to impersonate local residents in England and Scotland. They post photos and memes about current events and criticism of the British government, Meta said.

The accounts organize their content around common hashtags that promote the cause, although they sometimes spell it wrong, say a source at Meta. The accounts also post about football and British cities, which is likely to make the fictional persona seem more authentic.

According to Meta, as quoted by Reuters, some fake accounts used profile pictures possibly created through AI techniques, while others used photos of media figures and celebrities from Britain and Iraq as their profile pictures.

In a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014, Scots voted 55%-45% to remain in the United Kingdom. Will, the emergence of the Brexit policy and the handling of the COVID-19 crisis by the British government, has made support for independence among the Scottish people appear again. They even demanded a second vote (referendum) to secede from Britain.

Meta said its investigations had found links to individuals in Iran, including people with backgrounds teaching English as a foreign language.

It said the operation had some connections to a small Iran-based network that was previously removed in December 2020. They mostly targeted Arabic, French, and English-speaking audiences using fake accounts, but gave no further details on who might be behind the activity.

"We've seen a series of operations coming from Iran over the last few years," Ben Nimmo, Meta's global threat intelligence lead for influence operations, told a news conference, quoted by Reuters. "This is not a monolithic environment."

The social media company said it removed eight Facebook accounts and 126 Instagram accounts as part of the new network in December for violating its rules against coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Meta also said in December that it was removing the network, which originated mostly in Mexico and targeted audiences in countries including Honduras, Ecuador, and El Salvador. There is also a network of fake accounts originating from Turkey targeting people in Libya.