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Fb proprietor Meta Platforms has eliminated a community of social media accounts with ties to the Brazilian navy that posed as faux non-profits to minimize the risks of deforestation.
The feedback by Meta, printed in a quarterly report, pose a reputational threat to Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro. The far-right former military captain is a longtime sceptic of environmentalism.
Though the people concerned within the community have been lively navy personnel, Meta’s investigation didn’t discover sufficient proof to determine in the event that they have been following orders or performing independently, in keeping with an individual with data of the matter.
The takedown operation, Meta’s first to hit a community targeted totally on environmental points, might also add fireplace to Bolsonaro’s assaults on giant tech corporations, which he accuses of stifling conservative voices on their platforms.
Critics say Bolsonaro and his supporters use the platforms to unfold harmful disinformation undermining Brazil’s democratic establishments.
In its report, Meta stated the unidentified community, which was restricted in scale and genuine engagement, used faux accounts on Fb and Instagram to put up initially about land reform and the pandemic in 2020 earlier than turning its focus to environmental points final yr.
“In 2021, they created Pages that posed as fictitious NGOs and activists targeted on environmental points within the Amazonas area of Brazil. They posted about deforestation, together with arguing that not all of it’s dangerous, and criticizing legit environmental NGOs who spoke out towards deforestation within the Amazon,” Meta stated in its report.
“Though the individuals behind [the network] tried to hide their identities and coordination, our investigation discovered hyperlinks to people related to the Brazilian Army.”
Meta declined to supply further details about its investigation.
Bolsonaro’s workplace and the defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
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