Anti-EU Facebook Network in Georgia Spreading Disinformation and Hate
A recent report by the Myth Detector, an online fact-checking platform operated by the Media Development Foundation, has exposed an anti-EU sponsored Facebook network in Georgia. According to the report, these Facebook pages have been promoting and disseminating anti-Western and anti-EU messages since the beginning of 2023.
The pages primarily utilize memes to reinforce disinformation and stereotypes within Georgian society. Their aim is to convince people that joining the European Union equates to abandoning traditional values and empowering the LGBTQ+ community. The themes of the pages vary and encompass information technology, marketing, music, business, and more.
However, it is unclear who is behind these pages. Facebook’s Political Advertising Rules require authorized users to disclose their identity when posting election and political ads. They must also be authorized in the country where the ad’s target audience resides. Strikingly, the exposed Facebook pages identified as advertising to Georgian audiences are listed in different countries or not at all. Moreover, the ad library on these pages fails to mention who paid for the ads and who is responsible for them. Some posts even contain false information.
Myth Detector has identified seven Facebook pages within this network. As of October 18, three of these pages have been deactivated, while four remain active. The deactivated pages include Programming Natural, Marketing Funny, and Cool Move. The active pages are Crazy World, Marketing Sanctuary, Bautista, and Coco Kaewchay.
These propagandist messages predominantly contain anti-Western and anti-EU sentiments. Many posts feature homophobic messages, fueling fears about the LGBTQ+ community. For instance, some pictures depict a burning church surrounded by people holding colorful flags, while others show the EU flag amongst ruins of houses.
An interesting detail is that two pages claim the photos were generated by the AI platform Midjourney, which supposedly predicts life in Georgia in 2050 if it were a member of the European Union. However, these posts were later presented as a real story by the Orthodox Page, which falsely claimed that the church in the photo was an actual Orthodox temple abroad.
Other posts within the network also contain homophobic content. They depict the kind of media news that would allegedly be published in 2050 if Georgia became an EU member, with the LGBT theme present. Memes mocking Georgia’s anticipation of EU membership and its perception of receiving empty promises from the West are also sponsored on these Facebook pages.
The disinformation spread by this network extends to false narratives about EU membership requirements and the lack of benefits it would bring to Georgia. These pages encourage people to defend their homeland’s independence and advocate for the removal of the article on Euro-Atlantic integration from the Georgian constitution.
Furthermore, the posts touch upon the EU’s 12 recommendations, make false allegations about Western-sponsored revolutions, and even involve Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia.
Some ads published by Programming Natural and Marketing Funny are visually and content-wise indistinguishable from each other. Similarly, Crazy World and Marketing Sanctuary sponsored memes that portray European countries as dismissing Georgia’s eligibility for EU membership and depict the LGBTQ+ community waiting to hold a parade in Tbilisi once Georgia joins the EU.
The report acknowledges the use of memes in influence campaigns and highlights the similar techniques and tactics employed by these pages. Although it is impossible to determine whether they are run by the same group due to limited information and anonymity, suspicions of their connection persist.
This revelation sheds light on the presence of an anti-EU Facebook network disseminating disinformation and promoting hatred in Georgia. As disinformation and hate speech continue to pose challenges in our increasingly interconnected world, it becomes crucial to remain vigilant and critically evaluate the information we encounter on social media platforms.
