An event that went beyond any spy novel occurred earlier this week, as the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia intensifies. With the help of social media sites like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook—as well as its parent firm, Meta—Ukraine gained unanticipated allies.
Cybercrime’s expansion
Social media’s well-known drawback has been the shaky veracity and quality of the content that appears on different platforms. Since the beginning of the internet revolution, the Internet has developed into a haven for criminality. Concerning enough were the most recent reports of ad fraud and streaming television scams. International politics are increasingly being affected by cybercrime hacking, despite it being in the background. Cybercriminals or cyberterrorists can cause damage that has never been feasible before. What’s real? What’s not? The events of the previous week demonstrated what is possible.
Updates on Meta
This week, Meta claimed that unidentified hackers had accessed Facebook to target significant figures who are crucial to the fight. It is significant that individuals attacked, including politicians, journalists, and senior military figures, are fighting for Ukraine. Even while this trend is disturbing, it comes as little surprise.
Additionally, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube act
According to a Reuters piece by Elizabeth Culliford, over the last weekend, Meta uncovered about 40 false profiles that had been active on Facebook and Instagram. These accounts were later deleted for engaging in untruthful behavior. It was found that Russia was the operating country for these fraudulent accounts. Additionally, Twitter uncovered a large number of fake accounts that made an effort to sabotage and divert honest reports and worries about Ukraine. These accounts were also based in Russia and were deleted right away. Even YouTube had to conduct a search for and purge several channels that were disseminating erroneous information on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Ghostwriter
It was found that the majority, if not all, of these foreign cybercriminals, were members of a gang known as “Ghostwriter.” According to Meta, Ghostwriter was able to hack into the social media accounts of its Ukrainian targets and post fake videos that were later found on YouTube showing how the forces’ efforts were failing and, in one instance, even surrendering. Ghostwriter was able to build websites that gave the impression that they were independent news sources, thus adding to the appearance of the veracity of this material. Finally, the security specialists at Meta intervened to shut down all of the phishing sites and fake publications and warned everyone they could about the victims.
Prevention advise from Meta
Meta has temporarily blocked searches and the ability to access friends lists on Facebook accounts with a Ukrainian location to stop or discourage future destructive behavior from cyber terrorists who want to distort what is happening in this conflict. Although this action is constrictive, it is required for reasons of safety and security.
Despite the controversy surrounding Facebook’s conversion to Meta, it might be claimed that its new culture and set of values are being put into practice, especially those that are focused on acting proactively and effectively for the greater good.
Ukrainian social media coverage of recent breaking news
Honest social media posts and reports from the Ukrainian front are opposed to the false information disseminated by hackers and cyber terrorists. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was recently referred to by Roger Cohen in The New York Times as an “internet hero” and “a beacon of hope and grace.” Mr. Zelensky has not backed down from his accusations of Russia’s war crimes and has officially applied to join the European Union, refusing to be intimidated. Sincerely speaking, Mr. Zelinsky’s Twitter account has gained 4.3 million more followers thanks to social media. The way Ukraine is using TikTok to portray its plight to the globe in an authentic way complements Twitter’s effort. The TikTok campaign has helped Ukraine win support on a worldwide basis.
Although the situation in Ukraine is still severe, let’s hope that technical advancements—in this case, the Internet and social media—will ultimately benefit and be of use to this nation.
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