Facebook Dispels One Of The World’s Largest ‘Troll Farms’ Out Of Nicaragua
Image ID 41989971 © via Kianlin | Dreamstime.com
Earlier this week, Facebook announced it had taken down one of the world’s largest state-run “troll farms,” which was found to be operating out of Nicaragua.
The company’s researchers said it removed at least 1,300 accounts on Facebook and Instagram, believed to be part of a government operation targeting opponents of President Daniel Ortega, and the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front. It appears that the campaign, launched in April 2018, managed to rack up nearly 785,000 followers in its time.
“This was one of the most cross-governmental troll operations we’ve disrupted to date,” read Facebook’s report.
Engadget reported that researchers involved in the takedown operation said they’d found “a complex network of media brands” on other social media platforms as well, including TikTok, YouTube, Blogspot, and Telegram.
These accounts attempted to “flood the Nicaraguan information space with pro-government content, creating the appearance of a vibrant and diverse public debate.”
It was uncovered that one of the main offenders, a site called Redvolución, claimed to expose misinformation coming from anti-government sources. However, as reported by The Daily Beast, the “fake news” had been coming from the webpage itself.
For example, according to Insider, the site published an alleged “confession” from prominent student protestor Valeska Alemán Sandoval. Following her arrest in a raid, Sandoval “admitted” her fellow protestors were thieves, sex workers, and drug addicts. This video gained international infamy, with a British supporter of Ortega circulating it on a US-based fringe site, The Grayzone.
This revelation by Facebook could deal a huge blow to Ortega’s re-election chances, as Nicaragua heads to the polls on November 7. It’s even been uncovered that the country’s post office headquarters served as the “main hub” for the trolls, with government workers posting misinformation on a regular 9am to 5pm schedule.
“This was really the closest thing we’ve yet seen to a whole-of-government operation. This is the first time that I can think of that we’ve seen so many different institutions getting involved,” said Facebook’s Global Threat Intelligence Lead for Influence Operations, Ben Nimmo.
However, with the president’s main opponents arrested and not being allowed to contest for the seat, it could very well remain as the status quo.
[via Insider and Engadget, cover image via Kianlin | Dreamstime.com]
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