By Dean Seal

Meta Platforms Inc. said Tuesday that it has removed two unconnected networks in China and Russia that were running covert influence campaigns related to U.S. politics and the war in Ukraine.

In a post on its blog, the Facebook parent company said it has taken down a small network that originated in China and operated across multiple social media platforms, targeting U.S. voters on both sides of the political spectrum ahead of the 2022 midterms.

The network also pushed anti-government sentiments related to the Czech Republic's foreign policy toward China and Ukraine, Meta said.

The company said it also has removed a large network that originated in Russia and operated across a sprawling network of more than 60 websites that were made to look like legitimate European news organizations.

The network targeted Germany, as well as France, Italy, Ukraine and the U.K., with narratives supporting Russia in the conflict with Ukraine and criticizing Ukrainian refugees, Meta said.

Meta called it the "largest and most complex Russian-origin operation that we've disrupted since the beginning of the war in Ukraine."

Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 27, 2022 11:40 ET (15:40 GMT)

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