Facebook has removed hundreds of accounts which it says were involved in anti-vax disinformation campaign operated from Russia.
The company said the network of accounts targeted India, Latin America and the US.
They attempted to recruit influencers to spread false claims to undermine public confidence in particular Covid-19 vaccines, it added.
In its latest report on “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”, Facebook said it found links between the network and a botched disinformation campaign from influencer marketing agency Fazze – which is part of a Russian-based company called AdNow.
Last month it was reported how in May this year influencers had been offered money by Fazze to spread false claims about the risks associated with the Pfizer vaccine.
Facebook said that was the second wave of attempts by the network to smear Western vaccines.
Their investigation found that from November 2020 the same network attempted to falsely paint the AstraZeneca vaccine as dangerous because it uses a harmless adenovirus taken from chimpanzees.
Posts from accounts in the network spread memes that used images from the Planet of Apes films to give the impression the vaccine would turn people into monkeys.
