[UPDATED] PDRM behind pro-govt ‘troll farm’? Meta alleges coordinated inauthentic behaviour

KUALA LUMPUR – The Royal Malaysia Police has been accused of running a troll farm that sought to promote the current government coalition and to criticise its opponents, said tech giant Meta.

In its Quarterly Adversarial Threat Report, Meta claimed that close to 1,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts, as well as Facebook groups and pages, were removed for violating the platform’s policy against coordinated inauthentic behaviour.

Meta defines such behaviour as the coordinated use of fake accounts to manipulate public debate for a strategic goal.

According to the report, this network was made up of at least 596 Facebook accounts, 180 Facebook pages, 11 Facebook groups, and 72 Instagram accounts, with a cumulative total of almost half a million followers.

Additionally, the network was active across Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram and “posted memes in Malay in support of the current government coalition, with claims of corruption among its critics”.

On Facebook in particular, the network managed pages that posed as independent news entities and “promoted police while criticising the opposition”.

The report also found that approximately US$6,000 (RM26,739) was spent on advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

Meanwhile, DAP social media bureau chairman Syahredzan Johan called on the government to give a transparent and detailed explanation regarding Meta’s report on the troll farm operations. 

Responding to Meta’s claims alluding to the government funding trolls and cybertroopers using public funds and resources for their political interests, he called on the government to clarify the matter. 

“If the accusation is true, then it has exposed collaborative efforts in manipulating public discussion using fake accounts and websites for the benefit of the government,” he said in a statement.

He stressed that public resources, including bodies that should serve all Malaysians, must not be used for political purposes like this.

“This might cause backlash and negatively impact the organisation as well as public resources allegedly used for the government’s political will,” he said. – The Vibes, August 5, 2022