Facebook Gaming ARMA 3 Gameplay

More than 100,000 individuals watched videos purporting to show footage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Facebook Gaming. The videos, however, were actually gameplay of the military simulation game ARMA 3, according to a Bloomberg report.

According to Bloomberg, more than 90 movies were shared more than 25,000 times before being removed from the platform. Despite being branded as ARMA 3 streams, the top livestreams on the platform, some of which were active for up to six hours, had “Breaking News” banners and claimed the footage had been reported by journalists.

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has stated that it is reacting to the evolving situation in Ukraine, particularly in regards to the safety of Ukrainian people. 

Meta head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher said; “In response to the unfolding military conflict in Ukraine, we have established a Special Operations Center to respond in real time. It is staffed by experts (including native speakers) so we can closely monitor the situation and act as fast as possible. Last night, we also took steps to help people in the region protect themselves online. We’ve launched a new feature in Ukraine that allows people to lock their profile to provide an extra layer of privacy and security.”

Russia launched a full-fledged attack on its western-bordering neighbor Sunday, just hours after proclaiming a “special military operation” in Eastern Ukraine. Large explosions were reported in the early hours of today in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and numerous other cities around the country. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, imposed martial law within hours, and hundreds of people fled Kyiv.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden and American allies announced fresh sanctions against Russia earlier today.