Int'l Campaign Group Uncovers Over 500 Facebook Accounts Spreading Hate Content In EU

Daniyal Sohail Published May 22, 2019 | 05:07 PM

A Europe-wide investigation conducted by the international campaign group Avaaz into Facebook disinformation networks found more than 500 far-right accounts that have been spreading fake news and alienating white supremacy content in several EU countries

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2019) A Europe-wide investigation conducted by the international campaign group Avaaz into Facebook disinformation networks found more than 500 far-right accounts that have been spreading fake news and alienating white supremacy content in several EU countries.

"In total, Avaaz reported over 500 suspect pages and groups to Facebook, which were followed by nearly 32 million people and generated over 67 million 'interactions' (comments, likes, shares) in the last three months alone," the group's report, conducted ahead of this week's elections to the European Parliament, said.

The groups, operating in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, were either disseminating fake news or hate speech, according to the report.

"This was the first investigation of its kind and uncovered that far-right and anti-EU groups are weaponizing social media at scale to spread false and hateful content," the report read.

In Poland, for example, some networks were found covering anti-EU and anti-immigration topics, while in France most of the identified far-right groups were spreading "dehumanizing, racist and white supremacist" content, often aimed at migrants.

Meanwhile, the majority of networks discovered in Italy supported the Lega and Five Star Movement parties and spread divisive anti-migration messages ahead of the EU elections, which will start on Thursday. In Germany, false pages promoted the right-wing Alternative for Germany party.

Facebook had already removed 77 of the pages and groups reported, Avaaz said.