Twitter Removes 130 Accounts Linked to Iran Trying to Disrupt Public Conversation During Trump-Biden Debate

Twitter said that the accounts and their content will be published in full once the investigation is complete.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 1 October 2020 17:25 IST
Highlights
  • Twitter removed the accounts which appeared to originate in Iran
  • The accounts did not make an impact on the public conversation
  • The accounts will be published in full once the investigation is complete

Twitter worked with Facebook to remove 350 accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services

Twitter said on Wednesday it had removed 130 accounts, as they were attempting to disrupt the public conversation during the first US presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.

Twitter removed the accounts, which appeared to originate in Iran, "based on intel" provided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it said in a tweet.

The accounts had very low engagement and did not make an impact on the public conversation, the social media giant said, adding, that the accounts and their content will be published in full once the investigation is complete.

Advertisement

One of the tweet was worded "are You watching For Fun too?", showing graphical representation on why voters would plan to watch the debate, according to a sample tweet shared by Twitter.

Last week, Twitter said it worked with Facebook to identify and remove 350 accounts which could be used by Russia's intelligence services to leak hacked documents as part of efforts to disrupt the upcoming US election.

Both companies said one of the networks had been identified following a tip from the FBI, which warned that foreign actors and cybercriminals were likely to spread disinformation about the results of the November 3 election.

Advertisement

Over the last two years, since the 2018 US midterm election, senior US intelligence officials have openly predicted that hackers associated with Russia, China, Iran and North Korea would attempt to target the 2020 US presidential election.

Social media companies have long been under pressure to combat misinformation after US intelligence agencies determined Russia used their platforms to meddle in the 2016 vote, allegations that Moscow has denied.

Advertisement

© Thomson Reuters 2020


Will Xbox Series S, PS5 Digital Edition fail in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Top Deals on Phones Under Rs. 50,000 During Amazon's Republic Day Sale
  2. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Deals on Smartwatches Under Rs. 10,000
  3. Redmi Note 15 Pro, Note 15 Pro+ 5G Could Launch in India on This Date
  4. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  5. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked
  6. Top Deals on OnePlus Smartphones During the Amazon Great Republic Day Sale
  7. Resident Evil Requiem Gets New Leon Gameplay at Resident Evil Showcase
  8. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale Is Live: Best Offers Today
  1. Hypothetical ‘Dark Stars’ Could Rewrite Early Cosmic History, Research Suggests
  2. Honor Magic 8 Pro Air Key Features Confirmed; Company Teases External Lens for Honor Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design
  3. Lava Blaze Duo 3 India Launch Date Announced; Colour Options Teased Ahead of Debut
  4. Resident Evil Requiem Gets New Leon Gameplay at Resident Evil Showcase
  5. After ChatGPT Translate, Google Releases Multiple Open-Source Translation Models
  6. Realme Buds Clip India Launch Timeline Confirmed: Expected Specifications, Features
  7. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Might Have Spotted Hidden Supermassive Black Holes
  8. Tere Ishk Mein Reportedly Streams on OTT Soon: All You Need to Know About Dhanush and Kriti Sanon-Starrer
  9. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Top Laptop Deals Under Rs. 40,000
  10. OnePlus 15T Launch Timeline, Chipset Details Leaked: Expected Specifications, Features
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.