A recent report published by the House Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government has shed light on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) involvement in facilitating censorship requests on behalf of a Ukrainian intelligence agency that had been infiltrated by Russian-aligned actors.
According to the report, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) sought assistance from the FBI in identifying and removing social media accounts spreading Kremlin propaganda. However, it was later discovered that the SBU itself had been compromised by individuals working to further Putin’s agenda.
JUST IN: The FBI censored American citizens at the direction of Ukrainian intelligence by banning social media accounts that Ukraine determined to be a threat to their agenda.
The FBI continues to be the greatest threat to democracy in America.
According to a new report by the… pic.twitter.com/sV1ryZ187e
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 11, 2023
The SBU provided the FBI with lists of “thousands” of social media accounts accused of disseminating Russian disinformation. The FBI then shared these lists with major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
Documents obtained through subpoenas revealed that many of the targeted accounts belonged to American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights. These individuals expressed pro-Ukrainian views or voiced opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The report argued that this indicates a lack of thorough vetting by the FBI when assessing the SBU’s lists. Notably, the flagged accounts included a verified US State Department account and numerous journalists.
Did the FBI collude with Ukraine?
Republican Committee exposes FBI. As per the release report, the FBI colluded with a compromised Ukrainian intelligence agency and sought big tech's help in censoring Americans@PriyankaSh25 tells you more
Watch more: https://t.co/wojetdJccS pic.twitter.com/SBrXVfUnJV
— WION (@WIONews) July 11, 2023
The flagged accounts predominantly had low engagement, suggesting that the SBU had an expansive online surveillance system aimed at curbing content in its early stages of dissemination, before it gained significant attention.
The SBU, established after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a successor to the KGB, has long been susceptible to Russian infiltration. In July 2022, following the collaboration between the FBI and the SBU, Ukrainian President Zelensky suspended the head of the organization, Ivan Bakanov, due to suspicions of widespread treason among SBU personnel.
