Facebook Takes Down Network Spreading False COVID-19 Information

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has taken down more than 600 accounts, pages, and groups connected to a Chinese influence operation network that was spreading false COVID-19 information. This network is one of six from last month to be removed from Facebook, the others included two others, based in Poland and Belarus, that were focused on the migration crisis on the countries’ shared border.

Ben Nimmo, who investigates influence operations at Meta, stated: “This campaign was a hall of mirrors, endlessly reflecting a single fake persona associated with Chinese state infrastructure companies located around the world.” Nathaniel Gleicher, Meta’s head of security policy, continued by stating: “Adversarial networks don’t strive to neatly fit our policies or only violate one at a time. We build our defenses with the expectation that they will not stop, but rather adapt and try new tactics. ”

Source: NPR