Revealed: the Facebook loophole that lets world leaders deceive and harass their citizens

With 2.8 billion users, Facebook plays a dominant role in the political discourse of nearly every country in the world. But the platform's algorithms and features can be manipulated to distort political debate.One way to do this is by creating fake "engagement" - likes, comments, shares and reactions - using inauthentic or compromised Facebook accounts. In addition to shaping public perception of a political leader's popularity, fake engagement can affect Facebook's all-important news feed algorithm. Successfully gaming the algorithm can make the difference between reaching an audience of millions - or shouting into the wind.

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