DUBAI: Facebook parent Meta Platforms removed a network of fake accounts that originated in Iran and targeted Instagram users in Scotland with content supporting Scottish independence, the company’s investigators said on Thursday.
The network used fake accounts to pose as locals in England and Scotland, posting photos and memes about current events and criticism of the United Kingdom’s government, Meta said.
The accounts posted commentary about Scottish independence and organized their content around common hashtags promoting the cause, though they at times misspelled them, the company said. The accounts also posted about football and UK cities, likely to make the fictitious personas seem more authentic.
The network used photos of media personalities and celebrities from the UK and Iran as well as profile pictures likely created through AI techniques, Meta said.
In a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014, Scots voted 55 percent-45 percent to remain in the United Kingdom, but both Brexit and the British government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis have bolstered support for independence among Scots and demands for a second vote.
Meta said its investigation found links to individuals in Iraq, including people with a background in teaching English as a foreign language.
It said the operation had some connections with a small Iran-based network it previously removed in December 2020, which mostly targeted Arabic, French and English-speaking audiences using fake accounts, but did not provide further details on who might be behind the activity.
“We’ve seen a range of operations coming from Iran over the last few years,” said Ben Nimmo, Meta’s global threat intelligence lead for influence operations, in a press briefing. “It’s not a monolithic environment.”
The social media company said it had removed eight Facebook accounts and 126 Instagram accounts as part of this network in December for violating its rules against coordinated inauthentic behavior.
Meta removes Iran-based fake accounts targeting Instagram users in Scotland
https://arab.news/rwzne
Meta removes Iran-based fake accounts targeting Instagram users in Scotland
- The network used fake accounts to pose as locals in England and Scotland
- The accounts posted commentary about Scottish independence and organized their content around common hashtags promoting the cause
‘Tehran’ producer Dana Eden found dead in Athens hotel room
- Greek police say death being treated as suicide
DUBAI: Dana Eden, a producer of the Israeli thriller series “Tehran,” was found dead in her hotel room in Athens on Sunday, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.
The 52-year-old was reportedly in Greece for the filming of the show’s fourth season, which stars Niv Sultan, Shaun Toub, and Hugh Laurie.
Greek police said that the cause of death had not been officially confirmed but that the case was being treated as a suicide based on available evidence and witness testimony, according to media reports.
Eden co-led the production company Donna and Shula Productions with showrunner Shula Spiegel.
In a statement issued Monday, the company said that “the rumors about criminal death or about a national background are not true and are not grounded,” and urged the media and public to “behave responsibly and sensibly” and “refrain from publishing unverified assumptions.
“It’s a moment of great pain for the family, friends and colleagues. We ask to preserve Dana’s dignity and the privacy of her dears,” the statement added.
