JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. think tank that analyzes misinformation online has found that an Israel-based influence campaign busted by Facebook had stumped for the winning candidate in the February 2019 Nigerian presidential elections.
The Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab report Friday foregrounds posts from accounts tied to the Tel Aviv-based political consulting company Archimedes, which appeared to smear Atiku Abubakar, President Muhammadu Buhari's main opponent and former vice president of Nigeria.
One page pumped out a stream of content praising and boosting Buhari. Another purported to support Abubakar, only to target his supporters with anti-Abubakar posts later.
Facebook banned Archimedes from the platform Thursday for its "coordinated and deceptive behavior" and removed dozens of accounts primarily aimed at disrupting elections in African countries.