Image
ScreenshotofapetitiononChange[.]org,created
bytheoperationandaddressedtotheWorld
HealthOrganizationonNovember25,2020.
InDecember,astheIndiangovernmentwasd
iscussingemergencyauthorizationforthe
AstraZenecavaccine,theoperationbeganusingfakeaccountsonbothFacebookandInstagram
topromoteitsblogsandpetitions,togetherwithalargestockofmemes.Allthesememes
featuredthesuggestion,oreventheexplicitclaim,thattheAstraZenecavaccinewouldturnits
subjectsintochimpanzees.Manyofthememesfeaturedscenesfromthe1968movie“Planetof
theApes”.
Image
Postbythenetwork
ThefakeFacebookaccountsfocusedonlow-volume,targetedposting:eachonetypically
postedthreetosixmemes,usuallyinHindi,togetherwithalinktooneoftheoperation’s
off-platformpiecesofcontentandabriefcommentinHindiorEnglish.Thesepostsreceived
fewifanylikes,andsomewereridiculedbyrealpeople.
JULY2021COORDINATEDINAUTHENTICBEHAVIORREPORT
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