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Google Removes Accounts Tied To Iran-Led Misinformation Campaign (engadget.com)

In a blog post, Google shared an update regarding its efforts to combat state-sponsored phishing attacks and to remove accounts associated with an influence operation linked to Iran. Engadget reports: The company said that in recent months, it has detected and blocked state-sponsored groups from targeting political campaigns, journalists, activists and academics with phishing attempts. Google has also been working with the cybersecurity group FireEye, which has been providing Google with information on an Iran-based misinformation operation. FireEye identified three email accounts, three YouTube channels and three Google+ accounts linked to that operation, which Google subsequently took down.

In conjunction to the intelligence provided by FireEye, Google also investigated other suspicious groups linked to Iran. The company identified and removed 39 YouTube channels, six Blogger blogs and 13 Google+ accounts it believed to be connected to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. Relevant videos on the now-terminated YouTube channels had garnered 13,466 views in the U.S.
Facebook and Twitter were also made aware of the Iranian operation. Twitter announced that it suspended 284 accounts believed to have originated from Iran for "engaging in coordinated manipulation." Meanwhile, Facebook said it removed "652 pages that it says were linked to a campaign originating in Iran, as well as an unspecified number of accounts liked to Russian military intelligence services," reports Engadget.

1 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. South Africa govt says it's true, also ABC News by raymorris · · Score: 2, Informative

    "South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa announced earlier that the ruling political party, the African National Congress, had agreed to a proposal to alter the country's constitution and allow for land expropriation, or seizure by the government, without compensation", reports ABC News.

    The official South Africa government Twitter account added:
    "South Africa will speed up the pace of land reform"

    It seems someone told you some fake news.