Seven private cyber groups targeting social activists, dissidents, and journalists have been banned by Facebook’s parent company, Meta.
Seven cyber mercenaries were banned by the social networking site Meta on Thursday. After an inquiry, it was discovered that the group’s phony accounts were involved in other crimes, including hacking, and they were removed from Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Israel’s Black Cube, Cognite, Bluehawk CI, and CubWeb are among the blacklisted cyber outfits. These four Israeli corporations have been involved in cyber espionage on a large scale. Citrox was also outlawed in northern Macedonia, and Beltrox was outlawed in India, according to Meta. A Chinese cyber firm that has not been named has also been barred.
Meta has also urged 50,000 people in over 100 countries to be careful, which mercenary cyber gangs are keeping an eye on. ‘The surveillance rental company appears to be indiscriminately targeting the upper crust,’ Glaiser added.
Meta’s cybersecurity officer, David Agranovich, claimed the decision on Thursday would prevent “hired surveillance” of the cyber-army organization.
In the meantime, the cyber mercenary group claims to have solely targeted criminals and terrorists.
Journalists, dissidents, critics of authoritarian governments, human rights campaigners, and the families of opposition leaders were all targeted indiscriminately, according to a months-long investigation by Meta.
After being accused of fostering hate speech and propaganda, Meta initiated an investigation.