Unique: Community of shadow Fb pages spending crores on advertisements to focus on Oppn are related to BJP
For the previous few years, political propaganda on social media has been a component and parcel of electoral politics the world over. Alongside that, promoting has change into an necessary instrument for creating and spreading propaganda on social media platforms similar to Fb, Instagram, and Twitter. It is because common social media customers can’t management who views their posts. Nonetheless, on promoting platforms like Fb particularly, advertisers can choose goal audiences based mostly on area, age, gender, and many others. Concentrating on audiences on this means has confirmed to be very profitable electorally previously. When it was misused, it resulted in information scandals like that of Cambridge Analytica.
On this story, Alt Information will examine a community of Fb pages which might be misusing Fb as a platform and fascinating in political propaganda in favour of the BJP, and towards non-BJP events. We can even illustrate how Fb’s promoting coverage is permitting the BJP to spend crores of rupees on Fb to make use of it for promoting with the assistance of masked web sites.
Alt Information acquired info that a few of the web sites are an identical in look and their content material is an identical verbatim apart from the area title (known as the web site) talked about of their privateness coverage and disclaimer pages. These web sites are hosted on the identical IP deal with. The Fb pages linked to those web sites have huge followings, by which they flow into pro-BJP propaganda. The pages spend lakhs of rupees on Fb commercials. Subsequent, we began investigating these web sites and others associated to them. One of many web sites discovered within the checklist within the intel we acquired was ‘phirekbaarmodisarkar(dot)com’.
phirekbaarmodisarkar(dot)com
To confirm the knowledge acquired by us, we checked the phirekbaarmodisarkar(dot)com web site utilizing the Website IP Lookup instrument. This led us to the IP deal with (13.232.63.153) of this web site.
Following this, we used the Reverse IP Lookup instrument to gather extra info associated to this IP deal with. We discovered 13 web sites hosted on the identical IP Deal with (13.232.63.153) as that of the phirekbaarmodisarkar.com web site. In October 2022, 14 web sites had been hosted on this IP deal with. Between October and the writing of this text, two web sites (buababua.com and up2022.com) had been down and one new web site (bhakbudbak.com) was hosted on the identical IP deal with. For instance this, we’re together with archived hyperlinks from October 13, 2022, and March 14. All of those have the identical interface. Every web site options three photos, a Fb web page hyperlink, and a disclaimer and a privateness coverage web page.
To know extra in regards to the historical past of the IP Deal with 13.232.63.153, we used BuiltWith’s IP Address Usage History instrument. Once we looked for this IP deal with (13.232.63.153) by the instrument, we discovered that between December 2019 and the writing of this text, a complete of 23 web sites had been hosted on this IP deal with. The checklist of those web sites is given beneath. One can even entry the archives of every of the websites right here (file). No archived variations had been discovered for 3 of the 23 web sites.
Supply: BuiltWith
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jharkhand2019(dot)com
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chormachayeshor(dot)com
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ghargharraghubar(dot)com
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thefrustratedbengali(dot)com
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phirekbaarmodisarkar(dot)com
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modisangnitish(dot)com
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nirmamata(dot)com
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up2022(dot)com
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bhakbudbak(dot)com
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mahathugbandhan(dot)com
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telanganaatmagouravam(dot)com
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kamaldobara(dot)com
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olirattumputhuvai(dot)com
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valarchipaadaiyiltamizhagam(dot)com
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buababua(dot)com
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teisheabarbjpsarkaar(dot)com
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modisaatherajasthan(dot)com
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theindiancompass(dot)com
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meghalayawithmodi(dot)com
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mp2023(dot)com
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pappugappu(dot)com
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shivshahiparat(dot)com
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chuntliexpress(dot)com
Lots of the web sites recognized on this checklist are down. Once we tried to gather details about the domains of those web sites with the assistance of Registration Knowledge Lookup instrument, we discovered that the knowledge pertaining to all these domains had been hidden with the assistance of Domains by Proxy (DBP). Domains by Proxy (DBP) is an Web firm that gives area privateness providers. With its assist, as a substitute of the main points of the true proprietor of the area within the WHOIS database, the title of the proprietor seems as ‘Area By Proxy’. In different phrases, the corporate is entrusted with the accountability of conserving the area proprietor’s private info confidential.
Whereas shopping for domains on an internet site like GoDaddy, customers pays further to subscribe to this service, i.e., to cover the area proprietor’s private info from the WHOIS database. The template and content material sample of those web sites are the identical. All these web sites have a house web page, disclaimer and privateness coverage web page with three photos. Aside from this, every of them has a hyperlink to a Fb web page.
This may be seen clearly within the screenshots within the slides given beneath.
One other factor is frequent to all these websites. The Fb pages related to them indiscriminately spend lakhs of rupees on Fb promoting. To gather info associated to this, we searched the ‘Meta Advert Library Report’ of Fb’s mum or dad firm Meta. We checked how a lot cash was spent on commercials by Fb pages linked to every of the web sites from February 21, 2019, to March 10. The report is kind of detailed, and the file is connected beneath. Total, the Fb pages linked to those web sites have spent a complete of ₹3,47,05,292 by broadcasting a complete of 48,930 commercials up to now.
These web sites usually run commercials in assist of the BJP and plenty of of those web sites and their related Fb pages are devoted to spreading propaganda towards opposition events and leaders. For instance:
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Thugs of Jharkhand – Targets Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Congress
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Chor Machaye Shor – Targets former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda and the Congress
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The Annoyed Bengali – Targets Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress
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Nirmamata – Targets Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress
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Bhak Budbak – Targets Bihar deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav and the RJD
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Mahathugbandhan – Targets Opposition events
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Bua Babua – Targets former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati
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Pappu Gappu – Pappu Gappu – Targets Rahul Gandhi and the Congress
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Chuntli Specific – Targets the Aam Aadmi Get together and the Congress
It’s price noting that the Fb pages linked to those web sites have run commercials towards the opposition events left and proper. However the ‘disclaimer’ supplied in these accommodates both the title of the web site, or the title of the identical web page which has posted the commercial.
In terms of disclaimers, Meta guidelines demand that the advertiser gives their title, the title of the web page they run, or one other organisation because the entity behind the advert served by that Fb Web page. If they’re working advertisements for one more organisation, Fb requires them to offer further credentials – similar to a telephone quantity, e-mail and web site or a certificates from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee from the Election Fee of India to assist make sure that the organisation working the advert is genuine.
Promoting spends by web sites linked to Fb web page (File)
What sort of content material do these pages include?
The Fb web page Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar revealed an commercial between March 16 and 18, 2023, with the false declare that Asle Toje, vice-chairman of the Nobel Committee, had named Narendra Modi as the highest contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. This declare was discovered to be deceptive in Alt News’ fact-check investigation. The advert was eliminated by Fb stating that it went towards Meta Promoting Requirements.
The web page has run different advertisements containing pro-BJP propaganda and posted content material focusing on opposition events and leaders. The commercials run by this web page function BJP and non-BJP leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Tejaswi Yadav, KCR, Rahul Gandhi together with different opposition events. Some examples of this are proven within the slides beneath.
Attain of internet sites linked to Fb web page (File)
Contact particulars supplied by Fb pages (File)
Within the Advert Library Report of Fb’s mum or dad firm Meta, the pages’ contact particulars (cell quantity, e-mail, deal with and web site) have been given within the disclaimer of the commercials run by them. We observed that the cell quantity (+91 6359907101) is given within the disclaimer of the Fb web page ‘Bhak Budbak’.
Once we searched for this number on Google, we found {that a} Fb web page named ‘Paltu Aadmi Get together’ had shared it and made an attraction so as to add it to sure WhatsApp teams. Because the Fb posts listed on Google have been deleted, these hyperlinks are damaged. Following this, we looked for this quantity on Fb and located two (1, 2) posts by the Fb web page ‘Paltu Aadmi Get together’.
In each these posts, the web page shared this cell quantity and wrote, “Add our quantity 6359907101 to your WhatsApp teams to defeat the Aam Aadmi Get together”. Once we looked for this web page within the Meta Advert Library Report, we discovered that it had run plenty of commercials on Fb towards Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Get together. This web page spent a complete of ₹42,49,050 by working 2,553 advertisements up to now. This confirms that this web page can also be part of this community.
The contact particulars of all of the Fb pages included on this community, taken from the Meta Advert Library Report, are given within the desk beneath. We are going to come again to this difficulty of contact particulars additional on on this story.
Web sites’ hyperlink to BJP
We checked one of many web sites hosted on the IP deal with underneath our purview (13.232.63.153) phirekbaarmodisarkar(dot)com and located that it contained a hyperlink to a Fb web page (https://www.fb.com/PhirSeModiSarkar). The title of this Fb web page is ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’. With greater than 42 lakh followers, the web page actively posts in assist of BJP and towards opposition events. Once we checked out ‘Web page Transparency’ within the ‘About’ part of this web page, we discovered that it had been created on July 9, 2016 and was earlier named, ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’.
It’s price noting that earlier than the Uttar Pradesh 2017 Meeting elections, the BJP had run a marketing campaign named ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’. On August 26, 2017, just a few months after the elections had been over, the title of the web page was modified to ‘Har Pradesh Ki Pukar BJP Sarkar’. The title of this web page was final modified to ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’ on September 2, 2017. In line with info within the ‘Web page Transparency’ part, this web page has run advertisements about social points, elections or politics. Nonetheless, a lot of its advertisements are energetic. Once we checked the advert library of this web page, we discovered that this web page actively spends cash on Fb advertisements in assist of BJP and towards opposition events.
Whereas searching for extra in formation on this web page, we discovered an article by The Quint dated September 28, 2016. It additionally contained experiences of events’ social media exercise forward of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Meeting elections. In line with this report, BJP’s web page ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’ had about 6 lakh likes.
In line with a narrative by Aaj Tak dated December 5, 2016, BJP Uttar Pradesh had began an initiative known as ‘UP Ke Mann Ki Baat’. For this, it had created an internet site and a Fb web page whose marketing campaign title was ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’. In line with this report, 14 lakh individuals had adopted the Fb web page ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’, 3 lakh greater than the Fb web page of BJP Uttar Pradesh.
As per a report by the Hindustan Times dated February 4, 2017, the BJP was utilizing the ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’ web page on Fb to publicize the achievements of the Modi authorities.
On March 12, 2017, The Indian Express reported that forward of the Uttar Pradesh elections, the BJP had fashioned groups at a number of ranges to ramp up the celebration’s social media presence. As many as 10,344 WhatsApp teams had been created by these groups and 4 Fb pages had been operated by these groups to flow into audio and video clips amongst celebration members, specifically ‘BJP4UP’, ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’, ‘Ab Maaf Karo Sarkar’ and ‘U.P. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is included.
Earlier than the Uttar Pradesh 2017 meeting elections, the BJP had launched a marketing campaign known as ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh‘. This Fb web page was created solely in 2016, and its title was later modified to ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’. We discovered a publish on this web page dated December 8, 2016, containing the web site of the marketing campaign, Fb web page/ Twitter deal with username, and cell numbers.
Fb/Twitter connection
Because the title and username of this Fb web page have been modified, the Fb hyperlink is broken (404 error). Nonetheless, the Twitter deal with doesn’t have many followers, so the account is inactive and no adjustments have been made to it. This account has been inactive because the 2017 Uttar Pradesh meeting elections. The final tweet posted by this deal with was on March 8, 2017.
It’s price noting that the seventh and final phase of the Uttar Pradesh 2017 meeting elections commenced on March 8, 2017. Once we examined outdated tweets posted by this account, we found it’s immediately related to the Fb web page ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’ (which has now been modified to ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’). We discovered a tweet dated August 11, 2016 from a Twitter account (@UttarDegaUP) containing a Fb quick hyperlink together with the textual content. By clicking on this hyperlink, one reaches the web page ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’, whose outdated title was ‘Uttar Dega Uttar Pradesh’. (The archived model of the redirect hyperlink might be accessed here). As well as, together with the textual content within the Fb publish, the date and time are additionally precisely the identical, each being August 11, 2016 at 3:56 PM.
Web site/cell quantity connection
We observed that the web site ‘upkemannkibaat(dot)com’ and cell quantity 7505403403 have been talked about within the 2016 posts of the Fb web page ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’. Alt Information carried out a search on Twitter utilizing a date filter, which led us to a tweet posted by the official deal with of the BJP and the official deal with of BJP Uttar Pradesh containing each this web site and cell quantity. BJP Uttar Pradesh had additionally talked about this web site and cell quantity in its promo video. The BJP had used this cell quantity in its marketing campaign ‘UP Ke Mann Ki Baat’. In 2016, this cell quantity was additionally current on the banner of the official Twitter handle of BJP Uttar Pradesh. This confirms that this cell quantity belonged to BJP Uttar Pradesh.
BJP Headquarters deal with
Alt Information utilized a date filter within the Meta Advert Library report and checked the disclaimer particulars of the commercial posted by the Fb web page ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’ in 2019. We discovered that an deal with was talked about right here – (6 – A, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, Close to ITO, Minto Bridge Colony, Barakhamba, New Delhi, India 110002). Once we tried to gather extra details about this deal with, we discovered that it’s the deal with of BJP’s headquarters. The identical deal with can also be given on the BJP’s official website.
Fb Promoting coverage being bypassed
In line with Meta’s Promoting Requirements, when an advertiser classifies an advert as associated to social points, elections or politics, they need to disclose who paid for the advert. Its info is current on the commercial within the type of ‘Revealed by’ the place the title of the individual working the commercial is given. It’s price noting that on the ‘Create disclaimers and link ad accounts’ web page, it’s talked about that any disclaimer created should replicate the title of the organisation or particular person paying for the advertisements.
Aside from this, Fb additionally says that this disclaimer doesn’t take the place of any legally required disclaimer and disclosure. It leaves the onus on the advertiser to adjust to the relevant legal guidelines on promoting. Fb has established two methods to get the disclaimer accredited. The primary is thru the traditional authorized title and identification paperwork. The second is the place the advertiser has to offer a self-declared organisation title (India based mostly deal with, enterprise telephone quantity, web site, area e-mail). After this, the ‘disclaimer’ will get accredited.
The best solution to get this ‘Paid for by’ disclaimer accredited is by utilizing these masked web sites, which is why they had been created. Right here, a easy web site is created after shopping for a site, which accommodates a hyperlink to the Privateness Coverage web page, Disclaimer web page and Fb. They then create a site e-mail by the area bought earlier. Together with this, they submit their deal with and cell quantity and ship it to Fb for approval.
Within the above article, we have now compiled the checklist of addresses submitted by these pages for disclaimer approval in a desk. A better look makes it evident that some addresses are incomplete, containing solely the title of town and state. Nonetheless, Fb has given approval to those disclaimers regardless of the unfinished info, by which these pages proceed working commercials indiscriminately. It is a main flaw in Fb’s promoting system, which these pages are cashing in on. It permits them to spend crores of rupees on working political advertisements on the platform with out disclosing who paid for them.
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