MENLO PARK, Calif. (NBC News) – Facebook on Tuesday told members of Congress and the Justice Department has uncovered a political influence campaign with dozens of fake accounts and pages targeting voters ahead of November’s midterm elections, and there is evidence Russia is behind the operation.
Sources tell NBC News the fake accounts have qualities similar to Russian hackers who meddled in the 2016 election, and Congress is trying to strike back.
“I will be introducing Thursday a sanctions bill against Russia that has everything but the kitchen sink in it. It’ll be the sanctions bill from Hell,” said Senator Lindsey Graham.
“We are in a crisis mode. The Category 5 hurricane has been forecast and now we must prepare,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen.
Facebook says it removed dozens of fake accounts targeted at dividing Americans, a sequel to last year’s deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, and a left-wing campaign to abolish ICE.
Facebook says the bogus accounts had nearly 300,000 followers.
Read more: https://nbcnews.to/2AtzV83
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