Facebook and Twitter remove accounts related to Russian and Iranian campaigns

Facebook and Twitter have reportedly suspended or removed accounts related to Iran and Russia, sanctioning “unauthorized” or “manipulative” behaviour.

According to founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, more than 650 Facebook pages and groups have been identified as “misleading”.

In parallel, Twitter has announced that it has suspended 284 accounts with apparent links to Iran.

This decision comes one day after Microsoft said it thwarted Russian cyber-attacks against conservative US groups.

On Tuesday, Facebook said it had discovered several accounts presenting “inauthentic behaviour” related to campaigns launched in Iran and Russia as a result of “several months” investigations.

“We forbid this kind of behaviour because we want people to trust the relationships they establish,” the company said in a statement.