Facebook blocks 115 accounts for 'coordinated inauthentic behavior'

Facebook has taken action against a number of Facebook and Instagram accounts which appear to be spreading fake news days ahead of the midterm U.S. elections.

In a blog post published Monday, the company said it blocked a total of 30 Facebook accounts and 85 Instagram accounts which "may be engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior."

Facebook defines this term as follows: "This is when people or organizations create networks of accounts to mislead others about who they are, or what they’re doing."

It was the U.S. law enforcement that warned Facebook about these accounts. According to Facebook, all of the Pages associated with the accounts are in French or Russian, while the Instagram accounts have been "mostly" in English. The accounts focused on celebrities or political debate.

Facebook said it would normally take more time to investigate before making a public announcement, but has decided to act promptly due to the proximity of the U.S. elections.

"Once we know more — including whether these accounts are linked to the Russia-based Internet Research Agency or other foreign entities — we will update this post," Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's Head of Cybersecurity Policy, said in the post.

Facebook has been the target of criticism for its apparent inability to stop foreign entities to use its platform to influence the U.S. presidential elections in 2016. Since then, Facebook has established special teams that combat election interference and fake news, and in September, the company launched a central hub -- the so called "war room" -- within its organization to coordinate these efforts.

This latest move follows a similar one in October, when Facebook removed 82 Pages, Groups and accounts that originated in Iran and engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior.