Meta closes nearly 4,800 fake accounts in China that tried to polarize US voters

Tech company said accounts impersonating Americans spread political content aiming to divide country ahead of election year

Someone in China created thousands of fake Facebook and Instagram accounts designed to impersonate Americans and used them to spread polarizing political content in an apparent effort to divide the US ahead of next year's elections, Meta said on Thursday.

The network of nearly 4,800 fake accounts was attempting to build an audience when it was identified and eliminated by the tech company, which owns Facebook and Instagram. The accounts sported fake photos, names and locations as a way to appear like everyday American Facebook users weighing in on political issues.