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Twitter, Facebook ban fake users; some had AI-created photos

Posted at 3:16 AM, Dec 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-21 15:25:43-05

BY MAE ANDERSON, AP — Twitter says it has identified and removed nearly 6,000 accounts it says were part of a coordinated effort by Saudi government agencies and individuals to advance the country's geopolitical interests.

Separately, Facebook says it has removed hundreds of Facebook accounts, groups and pages, some of which used profile photos generated by artificial intelligence and masqueraded as Americans.

It is one of the first such misinformation efforts to use material generated by AI. linked Tech companies are stepping up efforts to tackle misinformation ahead of next year's U.S. presidential elections.

The efforts followed revelations that Russians bankrolled thousands of fake political ads during the 2016 elections.