Facebook said it removed 652 pages, groups and accounts that originated in Iran and targeted people around the world, as well as other pages associated with Russian agents.
ADVERTISEMENTSAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said on Tuesday it had removed hundreds of Iran-based pages, groups and accounts, alleging that the network was linked to Iranian state media and tried to covertly spread political content to people on four continents including in the U.S.
Facebook said in a blog post that the 652 pages, groups and accounts were in violation of its terms of service because they were engaged in "coordinated inauthentic behavior."
The announcement adds to a steady drumbeat of efforts by U.S. tech companies to detect and stop hacking attempts by suspected foreign agents who might want to meddle in the Nov. 6 midterm elections.
Earlier on Tuesday, Microsoft said it had shut down six websites created by a group tied to Russian intelligence that sought to spoof conservative U.S. institutions including the U.S. Senate. Russian authorities denied the allegations.
Facebook said last month that it had removed 32 pages and accounts from its platform and from Instagram that the company said were trying to covertly spread divisive political messages.