MOSCOW. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The removal of three Russian account networks and groups from Facebook proves that the social network has lost its neutral status, Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachyov wrote on Facebook.
"It looks like the esteemed Facebook plans to completely lose its neutral status through targeted 'cleansing' of accounts that displease the U.S. administration. There is no other explanation for the dismantlement of three Russian account networks which allegedly tried to influence public opinion in African countries," Kosachyov said.
The removed networks were criticized for "posting content on the subject of global and local political news, including posts dedicated to the Russian policy for Africa and local elections" and "criticizing French and U.S. policy," he said, adding that some accounts posted RT and Sputnik news "which is a terrible crime."
If such criteria are applied, "practically all Russian-language resources and private accounts of foreign media outlets and bloggers that criticize the policy of our authorities should be ousted from the Russian segment of the Internet and Facebook," Kosachyov said.
"I haven't brought up yet cases when foreign media outlets have used Facebook to give direct instructions to the Russian audience on how to vote or participate in demonstrations. The administration of this social network somehow eases its uncompromising stand in such cases: after all, U.S. and European media is good, while the only goal of Russian media is to harm poor Africans," he said.
"It's an attempt to explain somebody's failures and successes, this time in Africa, by way of conspiracy theory and actions of bloggers," Kosachyov said.
"We have been there before in connection with the U.S. elections; the same techniques have been tested in Europe and have now reached Africa. There is a reluctance to admit the changing global realities, as it is much easier to detect subversive activity of another '13 bloggers' who turn yet another country upside down. Oddly, people trust such claims," he said.
Facebook has removed three Russian account networks, pages, and groups focused on a number of African countries, the head of Facebook cybersecurity policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, said on Wednesday.
According to Facebook, the networks were conducting "foreign interference" in internal affairs for the benefit of foreign forces.
It mentioned Madagascar, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Sudan, and Libya as the affected countries.
One of the networks consisted of 35 Facebook accounts and 53 Instagram pages, seven groups, and five accounts targeting Madagascar, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, and Cameroon.
The second network comprised 17 Facebook accounts and 18 Instagram pages, three groups, and six accounts mostly oriented at Sudan.
The third network targeted Libya and comprised 14 Facebook accounts, and 12 Instagram pages, one group, and one account.
Meanwhile, Yevgeny Prigozhin's Concord Group denied claims of being related to the accounts removed by Facebook for "foreign interference."