Facebook removed a Russian disinformation campaign claiming that COVID-19 might convert people into a chimpanzee.
According to a report issued by Facebook on Tuesday, the social media giant took down 65 Facebook profiles and 243 Instagram accounts linked to the disinformation campaign.
Facebook claimed in a Washington Post report (via MSN) that a UK-registered marketing business named Fazze targeted consumers in India, Latin America, and the United States. Still, the campaign to the United States was significantly smaller. The firm is no longer allowed to use the platforms.
Fazze Allegedly Paid for False Instagram, Facebook Ads
According to The Hill, Fazze paid about $200 on Instagram and Facebook advertisements, and their Instagram profiles have 24,000 followers.
The campaign included misleading posts. One example of that, per the same The Hill report, is that AstraZeneca is allegedly a vaccine based on chimpanzee DNA, and when studies reveal adverse effects, this vaccine should be prohibited. Otherwise, those who had their vaccine from the said pharmaceutical company would all turn into chimps.
Fazze also allegedly approached French YouTuber Leo Grasset. In May, Grasset told the Associated Press that he was told to create a 45-60 second video on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, with TikTok slamming Pfizer's vaccine's death rate.
When he requested Fazze to name their customer, the business refused, so he denied the offer and chose to make his worries public.
According to a BBC Trending investigation published last month, Fazze offered money to influencers in May of this year to promote misleading claims about the hazards connected with the Pfizer vaccination.
On the other hand, representatives at Facebook refused to speculate on the smear campaign's probable purpose.
This effort was not limited to Facebook and Instagram; it also included Reddit, Medium, and Change.org. According to the article, the posts were a flop.
Is Russia Involved in This Scheme?
When the firm requested influencers to promote their material, the campaign fell apart. Authorities were informed by a French and German influencer, who examined the situation and uncovered Russian involvement. BBC also mentioned that Fazze is part of a Russian-based company called AdNow.
Sky News said that Russia has been actively promoting its own COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in other nations to score geopolitical points.
Facebook, per WCVB, took down the accounts of those involved in the action, including authentic assets of the persons behind this network, and banned websites linked with their activities as part of disrupting this operation.
They also alerted anyone they suspect may have been contacted by this network. They shared their findings with law enforcement, independent researchers, policymakers, and industry colleagues so that they, too, might take action if they discover illegal conduct.
The research comes at the time when Facebook is under fire for failing to combat vaccination disinformation, owing to a drop in the number of individuals who have received the vaccine.
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