Facebook revealed late Tuesday that the accounts it removed on the eve of the midterm elections were linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian troll farm alleged to be conducting online disinformation campaigns.
“Last night, following a tip off from law enforcement, we blocked over 100 Facebook and Instagram accounts due to concerns that they were linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency (IRA) and engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior, which is banned from our services,” Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head cybersecurity policy, said in a statement.
Facebook had revealed Monday night that it was suspending 115 accounts — 30 on Facebook and 85 on Instagram — after being alerted by law enforcement.
Facebook said on Tuesday, as election results were being reported around the country, that it had discovered more IRA-linked accounts.
“This evening a website claiming to be associated with the IRA published a list of Instagram accounts they claim to have created,” Gleicher said. “We had already blocked most of these accounts yesterday, and have now blocked the rest. This is a timely reminder that these bad actors won't give up — and why it's so important we work with the US government and other technology companies to stay ahead.”
