Meta and Twitter have taken down accounts pushing pro-U.S. and pro-Western themes to Middle Eastern and Central Asian audiences, per a new report.
Driving the news: In July and August, both platforms removed the accounts for violating terms of service around manipulation and inauthentic behavior, researchers from the social media analytics group Graphika and the Stanford Internet Observatory write in the report.
Why it matters: In the past it hasn't been common for such campaigns to push pro-Western narratives and messages boosting the U.S. and its allies. More typically these campaigns of "coordinated inauthentic behavior," as Meta calls them, have aimed at undermining democracy and boost authoritarian governments.
- Most influence operation campaigns have been linked to Russia, China and Iran.
