Facebook took down over 5,000 malicious accounts, pages, groups in June

Facebook has taken down 5,381 malicious accounts, groups, and pages from its main network and Instagram in an attempt to sanitise its platforms. The social media company purged 2,784 accounts, 206 Instagram accounts, 2,249 Pages, and 142 Groups in June. Facebook removed eight networks from seven countries as the vast majority of them targeted citizens of their own countries.

The California-based social network took down 675 Facebook accounts, 16 Pages and 10 Instagram accounts in Iran and Iraq that targeted Iraqi audiences. These accounts were also linked to Iraq's Al-Mareef Radio and a Tehran-based IT company Alborz Analysis and Development, news agency IANS reported.

Facebook's crackdown was not only limited to Iraq, but it also took down 1,621 accounts, 1,795 Pages, 75 Groups and 93 Instagram accounts in Mexico ahead of the Mexican elections. These accounts focused on the Mexican state of Campeche and were linked to individuals associated with a Mexico-based political strategy and public relations firm, Worgcorp.

Facebook pulled down these accounts and pages as they rely on fake accounts to mislead people about who they are and what they are doing.

"When we find domestic, non-government campaigns that include groups of accounts and Pages seeking to mislead people about who they are and what they are doing while relying on fake accounts, we remove both inauthentic and authentic accounts, Pages and Groups directly involved in this activity," Facebook said in a statement.

Edited by Mehak Agarwal; with IANS inputs

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