Coronavirus fake news shared on Georgian Facebook by pages run outside country, research shows
Georgia's Data Exchange Agency said it identified daily incidents of cybersecurity on Georgian social media related to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Image: Blue Coat Photos on Flickr.
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Facebook pages run on servers located outside Georgia are running fake news on the new coronavirus outbreak on Georgian-language Facebook, a research by the state's Data Exchange Agency has revealed.
The institution, part of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, revealed on Sunday it had run an inquiry into pages with "artificially gained number of likes" running false information about the crisis.
The agency said the pages published fake stories about COVID-19 intermittently, within a stream of posts about various subjects. The DEA also told social media users professionals of the organisation had traced pages to servers located outside Georgia.
The agency revealed results of its probe within an effort to warn citizens about a rise in volume of malicious information on social media amid the outbreak. The state organisation said it found several daily cases of such links leading users to harmful websites that gained access to their systems as a result.
In its recommendations to social media users the DEA urged them to ensure higher security precautions when following links posted on Facebook, use more complex passwords for their accounts, use two-factor authentication and antivirus software and ensure dilligence in confirming information shared on platforms via multiple sources.
Citizens can report incidents related to malicious links on social media, cybersecurity and more to the agency email address incidents@dea.gov.ge.
The Cyber Security Bureau of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia has become a full member of the Multinational Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP), which is a NATO-endorsed smart defence initiative, reports the Ministry of Defence.
Georgia has been ranked ninth in Europe in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2018, which is a composite index produced, analysed and published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to measure the commitment of its 194 member states to cybersecurity in order to raise cybersecurity awareness.
Georgia has ranked 8th among 165 countries worldwide in the newest Global Cybersecurity Index.
Seven new confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection were announced in Georgia on Monday, bringing up the total number in the country to 61.
Facebook has removed over 500 pages, more than 100 accounts as well as groups and Instagram profiles engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" via sharing misinformation about Georgia's domestic politics and the COVID-19 outbreak.
Facebook has plans to set strict criteria for political ads to ensure transparency in advertisements in the run-up to the October parliamentary elections in Georgia, a representative of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) Mikheil Benidze says based on a letter received from Facebook.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that Russian media continues to spread disinformation ‘to sow distrust’ between Georgia and its strategic partners. In a statement released today President Zurabishvili referred to an article of Gosnovosti webpage about ‘a false letter’ from the EU Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas.
Facebook has removed dozens of inauthentic Facebook accounts, pages and groups connected with Georgian pro-Russian party Alliance of Patriots, political party Georgian Choice and media outlet Alt-Info.