The Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for
comment after normal working hours in Moscow.
By Jack Stubbs
LONDON (Reuters) -
Facebook
Inc said on Thursday it has dismantled three networks of fake accounts
which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents
as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming U.S. election.
The company said
the accounts, which it suspended for using fake identities and other types of
"coordinated inauthentic behavior," were linked to Russian
intelligence and people associated with a St. Petersburg-based organization
accused by U.S. officials of working to sway the 2016 presidential vote.
The Russian
foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment after normal working
hours in Moscow. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of election meddling
and says it does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries.
Nathaniel
Gleicher, Facebook's head of cybersecurity policy, said there was no immediate
evidence that hacked documents were about to be leaked, but by suspending the
accounts Facebook hoped to prevent them being used in any subsequent operation.
"Our team
watches for the threats and trends that we need to be ready for, and one that
we are very aware of ... is a hack-and-leak operation, particularly in the next
6-8 weeks," he told Reuters.
Read More : US
Election 2020
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