Facebook pulls down fake accounts that spread COVID-19 vaccine disinformation

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: CNET

Facebook said Tuesday that it pulled down 308 fake accounts, including from Instagram, that pushed disinformation about the AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

The social network has been under pressure from US politicians and regulators to do more to combat false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines. Though the social network partners with fact-checkers, labels content and directs people to a hub with coronavirus information, advocacy groups and other critics have pointed out that misinformation about the vaccine still continues to spread on the social network and its photo app, Instagram.

Facebook said it removed the fake accounts in July for violating its rules against foreign interference and for misleading others about the purpose of the accounts and the identity of those behind them. The accounts originated in Russia and the social network said they're tied to a UK-registered marketing firm called Fazze that's also been banned from its platform. CNET couldn't immediately reach Fazze. The accounts targeted people in Latin America, India and the US but didn't get a large audience to engage with their posts, Facebook said.

In November and December 2020, the accounts posted false claims that the AstraZeneca vaccine would turn people into chimpanzees. The accounts also created misleading petitions and posts on other sites, such as Change.org, Medium and Reddit, Facebook said. Posting in English and Hindi, the blog posts and petitions claimed that AstraZeneca manipulated its COVID-19 vaccine trial data and used an untried technology to create the vaccine. The accounts then paired blogs and petitions with memes that falsely claimed that getting the vaccine would turn people into chimpanzees and used hashtags that suggested the vaccine was dangerous. Facebook said it's likely that the operation asked health and well-being influencers to share their content to spread their campaign against the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Read more: https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-pulls-down-fake-accounts-that-spread-covid-19-vaccine-disinformation/

[Meadowoak]

1. A day late and a dollar short. 600,000 people are dead.

[riversedge]

11. very very late.

[Champp]

2. Are the Republicans or the Russians behind this evil shit?

Or are they doing it together?

[BlueIdaho]

3. Both.

They are one and the same.

[SergeStorms]

4. Hey, what the heck.

They're only 7+ months late, and it was only public pressure that made them act, but let's give Facebook a lot of credit, OK?

[Shoeless Louis]

13. Serge, Chatahootchie called, they miss you. lol

I can’t see the name Serge Stormswithout a big grin on my face.

[SergeStorms]

16. My favorite fictional....

serial killer. 😁 And he's so creative with his work too. He should have visited the White House during 45's administration.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Good that they hit Instagram

because the younger ones aren't on Facebook but they are seeing the bullshit on Instagram.

[Xoan]

6. Only 50000 more to go.

Sigh.

[Hekate]

7. That counts as a good start

[cojoel]

8. Why does Facebook allow fake accounts in the first place?

It would seem there would be less trouble if they didn't.

[yaesu]

9. Putins cyber warfare centers are busy replacing them as we read this. nt

[twodogsbarking]

10. Anyone not suspicious?

Anyone?

[Shoeless Louis]

12. But, but, will we still be able to pray for them? nt

[Evolve Dammit]

14. A year and a half late, Zuck

[ConstanceCee]

15. Yes, Disinformation

I'm glad to see the word "disinformation" used, which is what this really is, giving incorrect information
knowingly. Misinformation is incorrect information, but not given purposefully.

[Ace Rothstein]

17. What about the real accounts that spread disinformation?

I see a lot of those.