Thousands of fake Facebook accounts shut down by Meta were primed to polarize voters ahead of 2024

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta says it has found and disabled thousands of fake Facebook accounts linked to China that were used to spread politically partisan content in the United States before next year’s election. The accounts disclosed Thursday were designed to look as though they were run by everyday Americans. The network reposted content from the right and the left in an apparent effort to inflame political tensions. Meta’s executives said Thursday they’re guarding against similar efforts to interfere with elections next year in the U.S. and elsewhere. Critics say Meta hasn’t done enough to address its role in spreading misinformation and hate speech. California-based Meta says it couldn’t definitively link the network to China’s government.