These campaigns focused on disinformation about the war in Ukraine and EU policy. The content was shared through network structures of fake accounts. Meta acknowledges in internal analyses that there are systematic flaws in their monitoring systems. These flaws have led to allowing pro-Russian anti-EU advertisements. Critics claim Meta does not do enough to block such activities.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges social media platforms to remove harmful content and provide transparency about their algorithms. Facebook’s involvement in Russian disinformation is seen by experts as a serious violation of this legislation. Meta has so far not given a concrete response.
The issue specifically concerns the so-called “Doppelgänger operation,” a network of fake news websites and accounts that repost and spread Russian propaganda. Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, recently announced he will exercise less content control on Facebook in the US. It is still unclear if and how he will do this in European Union countries.
Experts emphasize that Facebook financially benefits from spreading (Russian) disinformation, even when it has harmful consequences for democracies. The situation has led to increasing pressure on Meta from European authorities. EU commissioners have announced they will more strictly monitor Meta’s compliance with the DSA. High fines may follow for violations.
Although Meta has taken steps to remove fake accounts, the results remain limited. Analysts state that the company must give higher priority to compliance with European laws and protection of users against disinformation.