Facebook shuts down pages spreading COVID lies

Facebook has shut down several profiles and pages, which were spreading COVID-19 vaccine disinformation

Facebook says the operation was using social media influencers to backing false vaccine claims.

The social media giant says the operation is a “disinformation laundromat” which sought to legitimise false claims by pushing them through people with clean reputations.

The campaign is believed to have been developed by a marketing firm in Russia.

It was unravelled because two of the influencers did their homework and reported the operation.

Ben Nimmo is Facebook’s global threat intelligence lead who says people need to “be careful when someone is trying to spoon feed you a story.”

He also encouraged people to do their own research.

It comes as Facebook removed 65 accounts and 243 accounts on Instagram that were linked to the campaign last month.