Russian-Backed Facebook Accounts Staged Events Around Divisive Issues

They publicized or financed at least 60 events—on all sides of most polarizing issues—before and after the 2016 election

.. In July 2016, as outrage swelled over fatal shootings in Dallas and Minneapolis, alleged social-media agitators tied to Russia worked quickly to capitalize on the emotionally charged atmosphere.

Workers linked to a Russia-based firm organized two gatherings, both for July 10: In Dallas, a “Blue Lives Matter” rally honored the five police officers slain there on July 7; and near Minneapolis, nearly 300 people rallied in support of Philando Castile, a man fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop.

The events show that the Russian-linked account activity went far beyond paying for polarizing ads dropped into Facebook members’ news feeds. At least 60 rallies, protests and marches were publicized or financed by eight Russia-backed Facebook accounts from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., according to a review by The Wall Street Journal

.. it had found 470 such accounts that it says belonged to Russians and that sought to exploit social divisions in the U.S. through provocative issue ads.

.. but the live events demonstrate how the alleged use of social media by Russian forces served as a launchpad for deeper infiltration into the American democratic process. Many rallies were sparsely attended, but some attracted news coverage, helping the accounts seem legitimate
.. People representing “Black Matters US,” one of the Russia-backed accounts, pressured Los Angeles activist Nolan Hack to plan events that would raise the account’s visibility.
..  Collectively, the eight accounts analyzed by the Journal were “liked” nearly two million times

.. Russian entities likely promoted events because the Kremlin believes protests destabilize democracies, according to Ms. Oates, who studies Russian propaganda. Event listings show how Russia-backed pages organized protests for and against the same issues. The page “Born Patriotic” planned 17 pro-Trump rallies on the same day in August 2016 while “Black Matters” hosted anti-Trump rallies after the election.

Facebook Abandons Plans to Change Share Structure, Avoiding Lawsuit

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pictured here at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 14, said a recent rise in Facebook’s stock price allows him to retain control for at least 20 years with the current two-class share structure

.. The share restructuring was aimed at ensuring Mr. Zuckerberg’s continued control of Facebook even as he planned to give away 99% of his family’s wealth over his lifetime.

 .. The reversal fits an increasingly common pattern for Facebook, which has repeatedly had to alter its position in the wake of public criticism over how it manages its powerful global platform.On Thursday, Mr. Zuckerberg said Facebook would provide congressional investigators with details of 3,000 ads bought by Russians during the U.S. presidential election, responding to pressure from lawmakers and others that it wasn’t forthcoming enough about how foreign entities used its platform to influence political discourse during the election.

.. That came after Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg this week said the company is adding more human reviewers to oversee its ad-targeting system after a report showed it was possible for advertisers to target ads to users interested in anti-Semitic and other hateful topics.

 .. Mr. Zuckerberg, whose fortune is estimated at $71 billion, said he doesn’t need the change in shareholding structure because Facebook’s stock has risen so much that he can fund his for-profit philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, for at least 20 years by selling his existing stock without losing control.

Facebook shares have risen more than 50% since April 2016, when the plan was first announced.

.. Mr. Zuckerberg holds about 59.7% of the voting control of Facebook because he controls 86% of the company’s Class B shares, which have 10 times the voting power of Class A shares. Every Class B share he sells is automatically converted to a Class A share, which gets just one vote.

.. longtime Facebook director Marc Andreessen, who served on a special committee created to discuss the new share structure, was privately coaching Mr. Zuckerberg by text message on how to win over the other two directors on the committee, according to text messages disclosed in court documents last year.

In one instance, Mr. Andreessen texted Mr. Zuckerberg during a March meeting of the special committee with progress reports. “NOW WE’RE COOKING WITH GAS,” Mr. Andreessen wrote.