More than 500 accounts linked to a China-based online disinformation network have been removed. According to Facebook Meta Platforms
The accounts were promoted by a fake Swiss biologist named "Wilson Edwards", who claimed that the United States was interfering in efforts to find the origins of Covid-19.
Edwards' comments were widely reported by Chinese state media.
However, the Swiss embassy said it was unlikely that this person was present.
In her report, Meta said the social media campaign was "largely unsuccessful" and targeted English-speaking audiences in the United States and Britain and Chinese-speaking audiences in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tibet.
Earlier in July, an account that impersonated a Swiss biologist named Wilson Edwards made statements on Facebook and Twitter that the United States was putting pressure on WHO scientists who were studying the origins of Covid-19 in an attempt to blame the virus. In China.
State media, including CGTN, Shanghai Daily and Global Times, had cited the so-called biologist based on his Facebook profile.
However, the Swiss embassy said in August that the person was likely not present, as the Facebook account was opened just two weeks before his first posting and he had only three friends.
"There is no record of a Swiss citizen with the name 'Wilson Edwards' and there are no academic articles under the name," she added, urging Chinese media to delete any mention of him.
In a report released in November, Meta Platforms said its investigation into the matter found "connections with individuals in mainland China, including employees of Sichuan Silence Information Technology Co Ltd... and individuals associated with Chinese state infrastructure companies located throughout the scientist."
Sichuan Silence Information describes the company as a network and information security company that provides technical support to China's Ministry of Public Security and CNCERT, the main team coordinating China's emergency response to cybersecurity.
Facebook said it has removed a total of 524 Facebook accounts, 20 Pages, four groups and 86 Instagram accounts after reviewing public reports centered around a fake Swiss biologist.
Meta said the character's original post was initially shared and liked by fake Facebook accounts, and was later forwarded by real users, mostly employees of Chinese state infrastructure companies in more than 20 countries.
She added that the operation used a virtual personal network (VPN) infrastructure to disguise its origin, and to give Edwards more of a personality. He also said that his profile picture also appears to have been created using machine learning capabilities.
The investigation into the origins of Covid-19 has been a source of tension between the United States, China and other countries, as the source of the virus remains a mystery nearly two years after it was first discovered.