Here are some of the posts that Facebook says were part of a coordinated attempt to influence American elections
“Resisters” was one of the most-followed accounts that was removed, which posted content related to women’s empowerment, Donald Trump and other political hot-button issues. This post was created just last month, and was shared 85 times.
“These bad actors have been more careful to cover their tracks,” Facebook explained. “For example they used VPNs and internet phone services, and paid third parties to run ads on their behalf. As we’ve told law enforcement and Congress, we still don’t have firm evidence to say with certainty who’s behind this effort.”
Colonialism and Native-American heritage was the focus of multiple posts included in Facebook’s sample set, most of them created by an account called “Aztlan Warriors.”
Several posts identified as part of the coordinated effort do not have a clear political bent, particularly those posted by an account called “Mindful Being,” which seems to have posted otherworldly art…
...and motivational sayings.
There were two posts in the sample set that served as a job listing for an event coordinator, like the one below.
According to Facebook, at least one page is known to have recruited real-life people to promote and coordinate attendance for “No Unite the Right 2 – DC,” which was advertised as a counter-protest to an August “Unite the Right” event in Washington.
Facebook says it will begin contacting the more than 600 users this afternoon who said they’d attend the event, along with the approximately 2,600 users who marked themselves as “interested.” It is unclear how soon everyone will be contacted.
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