Contents\u00a0[hide<\/a>]<\/span><\/p>\n Under fire for Facebook Inc.\u2019s role as a platform for political propaganda, co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has punched back, saying his mission is above partisanship.<\/p>\n But Facebook, it turns out, is no bystander in global politics. What he hasn\u2019t said is that his company actively works with political parties and leaders including those who use the platform to stifle opposition\u2014sometimes with the aid of \u201ctroll armies\u201d that spread\u00a0misinformation and extremist ideologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n The initiative is run by a little-known Facebook global government and politics team led from Washington by Katie Harbath, a former digital strategist who worked on 2014 Indian elections.<\/p>\n Since Facebook hired Harbath to run their secret global government and politics unit three years later, her team has traveled the globe (including India) helping political clients use the company\u2019s powerful digital tools to create troll armies for digital propaganda.<\/p>\n In India (many other countries as well) the unit\u2019s employees have become de facto campaign workers. And once a candidate is elected, the company in some instances goes on to train government employees or provide technical assistance for live streams at official state events.<\/p>\n In the U.S., the unit embedded employees in Trump\u2019s campaign. In India, the company helped develop the online presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who now has more Facebook followers than any other world leader.<\/p>\n At meetings with political campaigns, members of Harbath\u2019s team sit alongside Facebook advertising sales staff who help monetize the often viral attention stirred up by elections and politics. They train politicians and leaders how to set up a campaign page and get it authenticated with a blue verification check mark, how to best use video to engage viewers and how to target ads to critical voting blocs. Once those candidates are elected, their relationship with Facebook can help extend the company\u2019s reach into government in meaningful ways, such as being well positioned to push against regulations.<\/p>\n\n
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Digital Gangsters<\/span><\/h2>\n
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