FBI and Ukrainian intel agency joined forces for social media purge, House panel alleges.

The FBI and Ukrainian Intelligence Agency Accidentally Target Authentic American Accounts in Effort to Stop Russian Disinformation

A new report released by the House Judiciary Committee reveals that the FBI and a Ukrainian intelligence agency joined forces to combat Russian disinformation on social media. However, their efforts resulted in the misidentification of genuine American accounts, including a verified Russian language State Department account.

The report accuses the FBI of relying too heavily on assessments from the Ukrainian government, specifically the SBU, which was infiltrated by Russian actors at the time. This led to the flagging of American accounts critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as Russian disinformation.

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The report’s findings are based on subpoenas issued to Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) and Alphabet (parent company of Google and YouTube), as well as interviews with employees. It was compiled in collaboration with the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the FBI aimed to combat Russian disinformation on social media by providing tips to social media companies about accounts spreading such information. However, the report alleges that many of these accounts were not properly vetted, and even if they were, the FBI lacked legal grounds to request their removal.

“Regardless of its intended purpose in endorsing the SBU’s requests, the FBI had no legal justification for facilitating the censorship of Americans’ protected speech on social media,” the report states.

The FBI did not provide a comment when requested.

According to the report, the process involved the SBU identifying and impairing suspected Russian influence operations on social media, then transmitting lists of allegedly “spreading Russian disinformation” social media accounts to the FBI. The FBI would then relay these lists to relevant social media platforms for internal distribution to content moderation and enforcement teams.

In March 2022 alone, the FBI and SBU flagged over 25 social media accounts to Meta and Alphabet for allegedly producing Russian disinformation.

On March 2, 2022, the FBI sent Meta a list of accounts with the subject line “additional accounts received from the SBU – believed to be involved in disinformation.” Among the listed Instagram accounts was a verified State Department account. The report highlights that neither the FBI nor the SBU provided an explanation for the State Department account’s alleged involvement in Russian disinformation.

At the time, the SBU was led by Ivan Bakanov, who was later fired by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky due to revelations of collaboration with Russia. Zelensky disclosed that over 651 cases of alleged treason and collaboration were opened, with approximately 60 officials from the SBU and other agencies actively working against Ukraine.

“Given that the SBU was compromised by a network of Russian collaborators, sympathizers, and double agents at the time of its interactions with the FBI, the FBI’s uncritical cooperation with the SBU’s requests is deeply concerning,” the report emphasizes.

In addition to the State Department Instagram account, the FBI also passed along an account from an American journalist affiliated with a “self-styled ‘socialist’ news organization based in the United States” to Meta on behalf of the SBU.

The FBI also sought to censor Russian disinformation on Google platforms. According to a senior Google employee interviewed by the committee, the primary sources of censorship requests were the Ukrainian government, other Eastern European governments, the European Union, and the European Commission. The Department of Justice would route these requests from foreign entities to the company.

The report also reveals that the FBI and SBU attempted to censor American journalists on Twitter. Yoel Roth, the former head of Twitter’s Trust and Safety Team, informed the FBI that the accounts accused of “spreading fear and disinformation” included a mix of individuals, including American and Canadian journalists. Roth requested additional information or context on these accounts, but the FBI responded that it was unlikely to provide any.

This report surfaces just before FBI Director Christopher Wray is scheduled to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee, amidst ongoing debates about fully funding the Department of Justice.

The FBI is also seeking funds for a new headquarters, a request that House Republicans were already hesitant to support.

Next Steps

In light of these revelations, House Republicans are intensifying their calls for FBI reforms, alleging corruption within the agency and advocating for new leadership.

“New evidence is revealed almost daily now to prove the leadership of the FBI has corrupted the agency,” said Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), a member of the Judiciary and Weaponization subcommittees. “The FBI has violated its mandate to protect Americans in pursuit of left-wing causes, and through the appropriations process and Congressional investigations, House Republicans will deliver reform of our intelligence agencies.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, is collaborating with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on legislation that aims to grant greater rights to taxpayers and citizens. Jordan also stated that the reauthorization of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 702 would require significant reforms.

Jordan commended a federal judge’s preliminary injunction that blocked communication between Biden administration officials and social media companies, ruling that they were colluding to censor speech.

Looking ahead to the Judiciary hearing with Wray, Jordan expressed his hope for obtaining substantial answers from the FBI director regarding concerning issues.

“This is the FBI that has retaliated against whistleblowers. It’s the FBI who was cited in Judge Doughtry’s decision in federal court last week about censoring American Speech. Yet, they want a new headquarters, the idea that they want to reauthorize 702 FISA in its current form is just ridiculous,” Jordan remarked.

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