MAY‌‌2021:‌‌THE‌‌PFIZER‌‌PHASE‌ ‌ After‌‌months‌‌of‌‌inactivity,‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌resumed‌‌in‌‌May‌‌2021‌‌to‌‌claim‌‌that‌‌Pfizer’s‌‌ ‌ COVID-19‌‌vaccine‌‌had‌‌caused‌‌a‌‌much‌‌higher‌‌“casualty‌‌rate”‌‌than‌‌other‌‌vaccines.‌‌This‌‌time,‌‌the‌‌ on-platform‌‌activity‌‌appeared‌‌to‌‌be‌‌limited‌‌to‌‌a‌‌few‌‌dozen‌‌Facebook‌‌posts‌‌in‌‌English‌‌that‌‌ primarily‌‌targeted‌‌Pages‌‌and‌‌Groups‌‌in‌‌the‌‌United‌‌States,‌‌which‌‌received‌‌almost‌‌no‌‌reaction,‌‌ and‌‌a‌‌single‌‌post‌‌by‌‌an‌‌influencer‌‌in‌‌Brazil.‌‌Open-source‌‌r‌ eporting‌‌c ‌ onfirms‌‌‌that‌‌Fazze‌‌also‌‌sent‌‌ emails‌‌to‌‌influencers‌‌in‌‌France‌‌and‌‌Germany,‌‌who‌‌ultimately‌‌exposed‌‌it,‌‌and‌‌likely‌‌recruited‌‌a‌‌ YouTube‌‌influencer‌‌in‌‌India.‌‌We‌‌did‌‌not‌‌see‌‌evidence‌‌of‌‌this‌‌phase‌‌of‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌targeting‌‌ India,‌‌France‌‌and‌‌Germany‌‌on‌‌our‌‌platform.‌ ‌ This‌‌phase‌‌of‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌coincided‌‌roughly‌‌with‌‌a‌‌period‌‌when‌‌the‌‌E ‌ uropean‌‌Medicines‌‌ Agency‌‌‌and‌‌B ‌ razil‌‌‌were‌‌discussing‌‌approving‌‌the‌‌Pfizer‌‌vaccine‌‌for‌‌adolescents,‌‌and‌‌came‌‌just‌‌ after‌‌the‌‌U ‌ S‌‌Food‌‌and‌‌Drug‌‌Agency‌‌‌approved‌‌it‌‌for‌‌adolescents‌‌on‌‌May‌‌10.‌‌Pfizer‌‌was‌‌also‌‌ reportedly‌‌in‌‌talks‌‌with‌‌the‌‌I‌ ndian‌‌‌regulator‌‌in‌‌early‌‌May‌‌over‌‌an‌‌“expedited‌‌approval‌‌pathway”‌‌ for‌‌its‌‌vaccine.‌ At‌‌the‌‌core‌‌of‌‌this‌‌second‌‌phase‌‌of‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌was‌‌a‌‌12-page‌‌document‌‌comparing‌‌the‌‌ efficacy‌‌of‌‌different‌‌COVID-19‌‌vaccines.‌‌The‌‌operation‌‌claimed‌‌that‌‌it‌‌had‌‌been‌‌hacked‌‌and‌‌ leaked‌‌from‌‌AstraZeneca.‌‌It‌‌included‌‌a‌‌table‌‌which‌‌purported‌‌to‌‌show‌‌that‌‌the‌‌Pfizer‌‌vaccine‌‌ caused‌‌a‌‌much‌‌higher‌‌casualty‌‌rate‌‌than‌‌other‌‌vaccines;‌‌the‌‌table‌‌has‌‌since‌‌been‌‌d ‌ escribed‌‌‌by‌‌ BBC‌‌investigative‌‌journalists‌‌as‌‌“c ‌ obbled‌‌together‌‌from‌‌different‌‌sources‌‌and‌‌taken‌‌out‌‌of‌‌ context”.‌‌It‌‌has‌‌not‌‌been‌‌confirmed‌‌how‌‌the‌‌document‌‌made‌‌it‌‌into‌‌this‌‌operation’s‌‌hands.‌ ‌ The‌‌Pfizer-focused‌‌phase‌‌of‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌began‌‌on‌‌May‌‌14‌‌with‌‌three‌‌articles‌‌on‌‌Medium,‌‌ Reddit‌‌and‌‌ethicalhacker[.]org,‌‌posted‌‌within‌‌roughly‌‌90‌‌minutes.‌‌Each‌‌article‌‌claimed‌‌that‌ AstraZeneca‌‌had‌‌been‌‌hacked,‌‌and‌‌shared‌‌a‌‌low-quality‌‌screenshot‌‌of‌‌the‌‌“casualty‌‌rate”‌‌table.‌ ‌ As‌‌before,‌‌the‌‌operation‌‌did‌‌not‌‌immediately‌‌promote‌‌these‌‌fake‌‌articles‌‌on‌‌our‌‌platform.‌‌ Instead,‌‌on‌‌May‌‌18,‌‌one‌‌of‌‌its‌‌Facebook‌‌accounts‌‌was‌‌used‌��to‌‌create‌‌an‌‌account‌‌on‌‌a‌‌UK-based‌‌ medical‌‌forum‌‌for‌‌students,‌‌and‌‌posted‌‌the‌‌entire‌‌“hacked”‌‌document‌‌there.‌‌The‌‌next‌‌day,‌‌a‌‌ second‌‌wave‌‌of‌‌articles‌‌appeared‌‌on‌‌third-party‌‌websites‌‌to‌‌promote‌‌the‌‌“Pfizer‌‌casualty‌‌rate”‌‌ narrative,‌‌referencing‌‌the‌‌first‌‌wave‌‌of‌‌articles‌‌as‌‌a‌‌source.‌‌The‌‌operation‌‌then‌‌used‌‌its‌‌Facebook‌‌ accounts‌‌to‌‌post‌‌the‌‌links‌‌to‌‌these‌‌articles‌‌in‌‌different‌‌health-‌‌and‌‌news-related‌‌Groups‌‌and‌‌ Pages.‌‌This‌‌time,‌‌all‌‌the‌‌posts‌‌were‌‌in‌‌English,‌‌and‌‌they‌‌primarily‌‌focused‌‌on‌‌US-based‌‌ audiences,‌‌but‌‌the‌‌volume‌‌of‌‌posting‌‌remained‌‌very‌‌low,‌‌typically‌‌two-four‌‌posts‌‌per‌‌account,‌‌ which‌‌received‌‌almost‌‌no‌‌reaction.‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ JULY‌‌2021‌‌COORDINATED‌‌INAUTHENTIC‌‌BEHAVIOR‌‌REPORT‌ 14‌ ‌