A pair of bipartisan senators is urging Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to prevent Russian influence operations on his social media platforms related to Moldova’s parliamentary elections set for September 28.
The bipartisan letter highlights Russia’s continued threat and evolving tactics in working to sway the outcome of foreign elections, particularly in democratic, former Soviet states, as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) acknowledged Meta’s engagement with Moldova’s Central Election Commission in June and urged continued cooperation.
“We urge you to remain engaged with the CEC and devote sufficient resources to prevent Russian-backed disinformation and political financing from accessing your platforms during the pre-election period in Moldova,” the senators wrote.
“Engagement during the pre-election period is critical to ensure that elections are not just free, but also fair.”
Moldova, a tiny country bordering Romania and Ukraine with a population of some 2.4 million people, is a target for Russian influence operations. Russian forces maintain an occupation of the tiny territory of Transnistria, and the Kremlin holds outsize political influence in the autonomous region of Gagauzia – both in Moldova.
The parliamentary elections are highly consequential, as Russia looks to help pro-Kremlin parties gain a majority and upset the country’s trajectory towards joining the European Union.
Russia sought to sway Moldova’s October presidential elections and kill a referendum in favor of joining the European Union, using propaganda, media manipulation, and bribery. Facebook and Instagram, social media networks owned by Meta, were seen as particularly vulnerable to Russian malign activity.
The referendum narrowly came out in favor of EU integration, and the pro-Western presidential candidate Maia Sandu was re-elected, with votes from Moldova’s diaspora community heavily influencing the outcome.
Ahead of the October 2024 polls, Meta announced that it had taken down a network on Facebook and Instagram targeting Russian-speaking audiences in Moldova. This network promoted criticism of Sandu and pro-EU politicians, boosted pro-Russia parties and posted about offering money and giveaways for follows and likes. The fake accounts referenced exiled oligarch Ilan Shor, who is also sanctioned by the U.S., and his party, which Moldovan authorities charge as being the main drivers of Russia’s influence campaign.
Moldovan police accused Shor of carrying out a $39 million vote-buying scheme to influence the October elections.
“Russia’s attempt at interference in Moldova’s 2024 presidential election and referendum on European Union membership previewed the Kremlin tactics, which should inform our efforts ahead of the upcoming elections in September,” the senators wrote.
“We urge you to do everything in your power to ensure that he cannot continue to use your platforms to spread propaganda.”
