Facebook and Twitter have removed hundreds of Iran-linked accounts and pages that lead targeted disinformation campaigns that promoted Iranian propaganda and sought to “shape political discourse.”
Facebook said the coordinated campaigns, which appeared to have been directed from inside Iran, involved 652 pages, groups and accounts that drew in over one million followers. Some of these accounts were also accused of engaging in failed hacking attempts. Many of the pages and fake users discovered were linked to a group known as Liberty Front Press, a news site publishing pro-Tehran stories.
Less than an hour later on Tuesday evening, Twitter also said it had suspended 284 accounts, most that originated from Iran, for engaging in “coordinated manipulation.”
Facebook also found a number of pages connected to Russia days after Microsoft said it had taken control of websites Russian intelligence services could have used to hack US politicians. There is no suggestion the Russian or Iranian blocked pages colluded with each other nor that they interfered with 2018 US midterm elections.
Facebook was initially tipped off by FireEye Intelligence and said “bad actors” were behind the Iranian operations. FireEye said it had discovered registrant emails for suspect sites that were related to Tehran-based web developers. Similarly, it found social media pages linked to Iranian phone numbers that promoted views in line with Iran’s foreign policy.
These included mocking Donald Trump, posts supporting Palestine and anti-Saudi Arabia rhetoric. Another showed support for Jeremy Corbyn, the UK Labour leader who has regularly appeared on Iranian state tv and associated with senior Hamas figures.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the accounts were "misleading."
“We are able to link this network to Iranian state media through publicly available website registration information, as well as the use of related IP addresses and Facebook Pages sharing the same admins,” said Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Facebook’s cybersecurity policy.
“For example, one part of the network, “Quest 4 Truth,” claims to be an independent Iranian media organization, but is in fact linked to Press TV, an English-language news network affiliated with Iranian state media,” he added.
Some of the accounts dated as far back as 2011 and had accrued $12,000 in advertising revenue. Investigations are ongoing between Facebook and US authorities. As Iran is under recently renewed American sanctions over its nuclear capabilities, the US treasury has since been notified over the fresh developments. Facebook insisted it took steps to prevent people in Iran and other sanctioned companies from using advertising tools.
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"There's a lot we don't know yet," said Mr Zuckerberg. “You're going to see people try to abuse the services in every way possible ... including now nation states.” Mr Zuckerberg described the campaigns as "sophisticated and well-funded efforts that aren't going to stop."
“These represented themselves as independent entities, but we were able to see through our investigation that they were all linked together,” said Mr Gleicher said.
“What we’re see here is a coordinated network, but the assets themselves were not presenting a coordinated front in terms of how they identified themselves,” he added.
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
