FACEBOOK’S LATEST takedown of Russian-linked accounts and pages may be the most significant yet, and this time the removal has nothing to do with a U.S. election. The social media site eliminated about 500 pages, accounts and groups across Europe and Central Asia that masqueraded as local outlets but amplified content from state-sponsored news agency Rossiya Segodnya and its subsidiary Sputnik. Of course, the enemy has come far as well, and Facebook will have to continue upping its game as Russia does the same. But the site’s progress throws into relief a troubling reality: A private company may be doing more to counteract systematic and corrupt Russian messaging than the United States has managed. The United States is divided.

Source: Washington Post January 20, 2019 23:15 UTC