Facebook pages like Fios Vinks and Fiosl Liesi claim to share coverage of the war in Ukraine but instead spread large amounts of misinformation using clickbait headlines and stolen video.
These pages copy content from other platforms, manufacture urgency and invent compelling claims to drive up views.
The pages appear to be connected, pushing viewers to affiliated Facebook groups managed by a single anonymous account. Experts suggest that money is the likely motive.
Twin Facebook pages advertise themselves as providing newsy and up-to-the-minute coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. But on a given day, their followers might see videos claiming Norwegians raided Russian ships, Vladimir Putin was defeated on "all fronts," or that a single British ship blocked a Russian fleet.
None of those headlines are true. But that doesn’t stop the pages Fios Vinks and Fiosl Liesi from earning clicks, views and a monetizable following through false reporting on the war.
The behavior of these obscure pages with their difficult-to-decipher names offers a case study of organized misinformation in one of its cheapest forms. Combined, these pages distribute dozens of videos a day — many plucked from YouTube and paired with sensational headlines — that aim to funnel viewers into larger Facebook groups that could be sold to buyers seeking large social media audiences. The pages appear to be part of a larger network and managed by a single, anonymous account. Their campaigns spread fast,...
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