Meta profits from known pro-Russian disinfo network: researchers

Core Insights - Meta generated $338,000 from a pro-Russian disinformation network known as "Doppelganger" between August 2023 and November 2024, which involved at least 8,000 pieces of sponsored content [3] - The Doppelganger operation has been active since 2022, targeting users in France, Germany, Poland, and Italy with anti-Ukraine and anti-Western messages [2][3] - Despite sanctions imposed on two Russian companies linked to the operation, Meta continued to approve and distribute advertisements associated with one of them, raising legal compliance concerns [4][5] Company Actions - Meta claimed to be the first tech company to uncover the Doppelganger campaign and has blocked tens of thousands of related posts [6][8] - The company acknowledged the existence of the campaign in September 2022, referring to it as a "coordinated influence campaign" linked to Russia [7] Operational Insights - The Doppelganger operation has evolved from traditional posts to include ads on Facebook and has expanded to other social media platforms, including Bluesky [9][10] - The campaign utilizes bot accounts with AI-generated profiles to amplify its messages, demonstrating a level of sophistication in its operations [10][11] Public Perception - The operation's success is partly attributed to media coverage that highlights its activities, which ironically serves to increase visibility for the disinformation campaign [12]