Almost All of Facebook’s Top Christian Pages in 2019 Run by Foreign Troll Farms (relevantmagazine.com)

Article summary

In 2019, nearly all of Facebook's top Christian pages were run by foreign troll farms, primarily based in Eastern Europe, which targeted American Christians with provocative content. These pages reached around 75 million users per month, and their content was often spread by Facebook's algorithm. The troll farms' motivations appear to be largely monetary, as they earned revenue from ads and selling pages. The spread of misinformation and propaganda on Facebook has significant implications for American Christianity and society as a whole.

Main themes

• foreign influence on social media
• propaganda and misinformation
• digital advertising revenue
• American Christianity
• global politics and society
• social media regulation
• online content and algorithms

What commenters say

• The influence of foreign troll farms on American Christianity is a significant concern, as it can shape public opinion and spread misinformation.
• The profitability of digital advertising revenue is a major driver of the spread of propaganda and misinformation on social media.
• Some argue that the lack of payload or clear agenda behind the troll farms' content makes it more difficult to understand their goals and mitigate their influence.
• Others believe that the focus on foreign influence is misplaced, and that the content itself, rather than its origin, should be the primary concern.
• The conflation of being foreign with trolling is seen as problematic by some, who argue that it distracts from the real issues of propaganda and misinformation.
• The spread of Christianity and its influence on global politics and society is a complex and multifaceted issue, with different regions and communities having distinct experiences and perspectives.
• The role of social media in shaping public opinion and spreading misinformation is a critical area of concern, and one that requires careful consideration and regulation.
• Taxing digital advertising revenue is proposed as a potential solution to mitigate the spread of propaganda and misinformation on social media.