Facebook users are being bombarded with pro-government fake news propaganda, but the Office of the Prime Minister would not comment when asked on the matter.
Featuring photos of the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet members like Edward Scicluna and Konrad Mizzi, this ‘campaign’ has been going on for weeks. Its ultimate objective is to lure the Maltese to invest their savings in the high-risk bitcoin, cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies.
The timing of these “sponsored adverts” – the term used for formal advertising on social media – has fuelled confusion among Facebook users as it coincided with the government’s push for Malta to become the world’s “blockchain island”.
Last summer, the Maltese Parliament enacted three laws that established “the first ever regulatory framework”, which were hailed by the government as the first of their kind of the world.
The move was justified on the grounds that this would put investors’ minds at rest.
The government’s bold support for this emerging industry was on show last November during the Malta Blockchain Summit which attracted some 5,000 delegates and hundreds of investors.
That same month, however, sponsored adverts started…
