Ugandan internet propaganda network exposed by the BBC - BBC News

A BBC investigation exposes a sprawling network of fake social media accounts operating in Uganda.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Jared WolfeImage caption, Dr Jamechia Hoyle was one of the women whose faces were used to create fake online personasBy Marco SilvaBBC VerifyA BBC investigation has uncovered a network of fake social media accounts in Uganda. Under false identities, they spread pro-government messaging and target critics with threats. But who are the people behind it?

It is not every day that you get to take a selfie with the long-serving President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. When the opportunity arose, Dr Jamechia Hoyle went for it.

She is a senior consultant in the United States, focused on global health security. Back in October 2017, she had travelled to the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to attend an international conference.

Mr Museveni was there to welcome his foreign guests.

Making her way through the crowds, Dr Hoyle approached him, smartphone in hand. "He was really happy to engage with us and take the picture," she recalls.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-67803493?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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