Facebook deletes pages, accounts with ties to Georgian March ultranationalist party
A screenshot of some of the content shared by the pages removed by Facebook. Screenshot via DFRLab researchers on Medium.
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Facebook deleted two dozen pages, 12 groups and more than 30 accounts from Georgia across its two platforms in March after "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" from their content was found to have links to the Georgian March ultranationalist party.
In its latest monthly report on CIB-related content removal the social media network said work by the Digital Forensic Research Lab at the Atlantic Council - which has partnered with Facebook over the recent years - had revealed ties with the group and its youth wing.
The company said content shared by the Facebook pages and accounts, as well as Instagram accounts, had "targeted domestic audiences", after "reviewing public reporting" on the activity by the Atlantic Council lab.
- See Facebook's full March report of pages and accounts removed for Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour
Using names masking them as pages for entertainment and online shopping, the network "focused primarily on amplifying the content of Georgian March", a Facebook spokesperson was cited noting by the Digital Forensic Research Lab in its detailed summary of the findings.
Established in 2017 before its morphing into a political party ahead of the 2020 elections, Georgian March is known for violent xenophobic and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, among other stances. It is also linked to unacknowledged backing from Russia.
The Digital Forensic Research Lab identified similar CIB activity from groups including Georgian March in December, when "up to 30 Facebook groups, 30 pages, and 10 personal accounts" were detected to engage in the activity.
An audio recording has gone viral in which the leader of Georgian ultra-right party Georgian March-National Movement Sandro Bregadze allegedly speaks with the member of Russian Federation Council (an upper house of the Russian parliament) and a former employee of the Russian intelligence service, Igor Morozov.
The Georgian March civil movement, known for its anti-LGBT rallies, has created a political party called Georgian March - National Movement earlier today.
Facebook has removed over 500 pages, more than 100 accounts as well as groups and Instagram profiles engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" via sharing misinformation about Georgia's domestic politics and the COVID-19 outbreak.
Facebook has removed 214 users, 35 pages, 18 groups and 34 Instagram accounts for violating its policy against foreign or government interference 'which is coordinated inauthentic behavior on behalf of a foreign or government entity', announces Head of Security Policy Nathaniel Gleicher.
Facebook has removed dozens of inauthentic Facebook accounts, pages and groups connected with Georgian pro-Russian party Alliance of Patriots, political party Georgian Choice and media outlet Alt-Info.
Facebook has plans to set strict criteria for political ads to ensure transparency in advertisements in the run-up to the October parliamentary elections in Georgia, a representative of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) Mikheil Benidze says based on a letter received from Facebook.
Georgian telecommunication provider Silknet has agreed to air and include in all its packages right-wing media outlet Alt-Info after months of a dispute caused by the outbreak of violence at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5. Alt-Info has been actively expressing and encouraging violence and aggresion against Tbilisi Pride march while founders of the media outlet were participating in the counter rally on July 5.
The Georgian right-wing media outlet Alt-Info founders have failed to register the political party Conservative Movement, which they established on November 20, by National Agency of Public Registry due to mistakes made while filling out the application form.
The political party Conservative Movement of the Georgian right-wing media outlet Alt-Info has been officially registered by the National Agency of Public Registry on December 7.