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And it's a busy day on the influence-ops front here.
New @Facebook takedowns:
Rally Forge (linked to Turning Point USA)
Myanamar ( @Graphika_NYC report to follow)
Azerbaijan
Nigeria
Russia (domestic, esp Voronezh).
... https://about.fb.com/news/2020/10/removing-coordinated-inauthentic-behavior-september-report/
New @Facebook takedowns:
Rally Forge (linked to Turning Point USA)
Myanamar ( @Graphika_NYC report to follow)
Azerbaijan
Nigeria
Russia (domestic, esp Voronezh).
... https://about.fb.com/news/2020/10/removing-coordinated-inauthentic-behavior-september-report/
Meanwhile, @Twitter updated their IO archive with:
Russia (this was PeaceData from a month ago)
Iran
Saudi
Cuba
Thailand (military) https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/disclosing-removed-networks-to-our-archive-of-state-linked-information.html
Russia (this was PeaceData from a month ago)
Iran
Saudi
Cuba
Thailand (military) https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/disclosing-removed-networks-to-our-archive-of-state-linked-information.html
https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/disclosing-removed-networks-to-our-archive-of-state-linked-information.html
Before I get onto Myanmar, it's worth thinking about how widespread these all are, but also how they fit into political logic.
So often it's about making one side look more popular than it thinks (fears?) it is, and/or the other side look more unpopular.
Like IUVM, in fact.
So often it's about making one side look more popular than it thinks (fears?) it is, and/or the other side look more unpopular.
Like IUVM, in fact.
IO are happening in many places, but we shouldn't mystify them.
There is a logic to them. Domestic or foreign, so often it's "Make us look good / make them look bad."
Or even, "just push my narrative," if you're as crude as Spamouflage.
There is a logic to them. Domestic or foreign, so often it's "Make us look good / make them look bad."
Or even, "just push my narrative," if you're as crude as Spamouflage.
So, Myanmar. This was a set of about 70 assets.
Facebook attributed them to "members of the Myanmar military."
It was a pretty repetitive network, to be honest. Fake accounts and a dozen pages posting much the same content at the same time.
Facebook attributed them to "members of the Myanmar military."
It was a pretty repetitive network, to be honest. Fake accounts and a dozen pages posting much the same content at the same time.
A lot of the accounts had stolen profile pics, like this.
For once, we *didn't* find accounts with GAN-generated faces. Right now, that's practically a novelty.
(Instagram source thisisdada_)
For once, we *didn't* find accounts with GAN-generated faces. Right now, that's practically a novelty.
(Instagram source thisisdada_)
Most of the assets were recent. Two main batches of account creation in March and April.
On September 8 (local time; screenshots here set to ET), the day campaigning began for Myanmar's election, most of the fake accounts added the banner and/or slogans from the military-backed USDP opposition party.
(These profile pics were all taken from elsewhere online.)
(These profile pics were all taken from elsewhere online.)
The content was mostly positive posts about the Myanmar army, including as a contributor to stability - e.g. doing health checks for monks, visiting hospitals and schools, helping people in floods.
These images showed up time and again across the set.
These images showed up time and again across the set.
Mixed in between, there were negative posts about the government, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party.
A few posts mentioned the Rohingya or Muslims. There was far less volume of this than the pro-Army and party politics stuff - we only found a handful of posts. But given Myanmar's recent history, they're important.
Overall, this was a small set: ~70 assets with about 538,000 followers. Most of the content was about the army, but the timing and the surge of partisan profile pics make it look aimed at the election.
Like I said, IO are usually rational. Fake assets linked to the army, praising the army and promoting the army-backed party: there's a pattern there.
