Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links

Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links

SUMMARY

Facebook removed 103 accounts and pages which were a part of a network that originated in Pakistan

The reason behind this action was based on the suspicious account behaviour

According to the company, the people behind this activity misrepresented themselves

With India’s Lok Sabha Polls set to start next week, social media giant Facebook has removed over a 1,000  pages, groups and accounts for violating Facebook’s security policies. Some of these pages are believed to have links in Pakistan.

In an official blog post, the company said that it removed around 103 pages, groups and accounts on both Facebook and Instagram for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour as part of a network that originated in Pakistan.

Apart from this, the company suspended 687 Facebook Pages and accounts which showed inauthentic behaviour in India and were linked to individuals associated with an IT Cell of the Indian National Congress (INC). It also removed 15 pages, groups and accounts which had connections to an Indian IT firm, Silver Touch.

Around 321 Facebook pages and accounts in India which have broken Facebook’s rules against spam have also been taken down.

“The operations we found to be engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour were two distinct sets of activity in India and one network in Pakistan,” Facebook said. The company clarified that the reason behind this action was based on the suspicious account behaviour and not because of the content posted through these accounts.

Facebook’s Efforts For Safer Elections In India

The social media giant has been gearing up its efforts to discourage the use of its platform for the spread of fake news and hate speech. Since last year, Facebook has been facing global criticism for its failure to check fake content and data breaches.

In a bid to avoid any further troubles with the Indian government, the social media has been ramping up its processes, structures and services to ensure it tracks objectionable content being shared on its platform. The company also announced its plans to start an operations centre in Delhi, which will work with its offices at Menlo Park, Dublin and Singapore, on a 24×7 basis to monitor election content.

Last week,  Facebook launched an exclusive feature for India – ‘Candidate Connect’ which will allow India’s Lok Sabha candidates to record their election manifesto in form of a 20 second video and share it with their constituents.  

The launch of ‘Candidate Connect’ feature is based on the company’s research in the country so that people can directly hear views of candidates in their constituencies.

You have reached your limit of free stories
Become An Inc42 Plus Member

Become a Startup Insider in 2024 with Inc42 Plus. Join our exclusive community of 10,000+ founders, investors & operators and stay ahead in India’s startup & business economy.

2 YEAR PLAN
₹19999
₹7999
₹333/Month
Unlock 60% OFF
Cancel Anytime
1 YEAR PLAN
₹9999
₹4999
₹416/Month
Unlock 50% OFF
Cancel Anytime
Already A Member?
Discover Startups & Business Models

Unleash your potential by exploring unlimited articles, trackers, and playbooks. Identify the hottest startup deals, supercharge your innovation projects, and stay updated with expert curation.

Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links-Inc42 Media
How-To’s on Starting & Scaling Up

Empower yourself with comprehensive playbooks, expert analysis, and invaluable insights. Learn to validate ideas, acquire customers, secure funding, and navigate the journey to startup success.

Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links-Inc42 Media
Identify Trends & New Markets

Access 75+ in-depth reports on frontier industries. Gain exclusive market intelligence, understand market landscapes, and decode emerging trends to make informed decisions.

Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links-Inc42 Media
Track & Decode the Investment Landscape

Stay ahead with startup and funding trackers. Analyse investment strategies, profile successful investors, and keep track of upcoming funds, accelerators, and more.

Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links-Inc42 Media
Ahead Of Polls, Facebook Shuts Down Sketchy Accounts With Pak Links-Inc42 Media
You’re in Good company