A Chinese scientist posed as a Swiss biologist made a series of statements on social media in February involving the Covid-19 virus and the U.S. government. The account attributed the comments to US pressure on researchers. The statement, which was quickly retracted by Chinese newspapers, was picked up by state media outlets in China. The Swiss embassy confirmed that the account was fake, but said it was most likely a Chinese cyber security firm.
Switzerland denied the fake account, calling the report “ridiculous.” However, it said it was trying to spread misinformation on social media. It was mainly targeting English-speaking audiences in the US, Hong Kong, and Tibet. The report noted that the ultimate reach of the operation was limited and that the claims were easily disproved by the international community. On Wednesday, Facebook took down the account, which had 524 friends and just one story.
The account of Wilson Edwards was deleted from the websites of major Chinese newspapers after it appeared on social media. The article, written by the fictitious scientist, claimed to be a scientific expert on climate change, had only three Facebook friends and appeared on the People’s Daily and China Daily. But the articles were not removed. Both of the Chinese state-run news outlets continued to publish the article. In addition to the fake scientist’s profile, the Chinese media hacked the Facebook accounts of other scientists who published their work.
The fake scientist’s story quickly went viral. It spread the false information about a COVID-19 pandemic and was associated with Chinese state infrastructure companies. As soon as the news spread, it was picked up by state-run media and global social media. On Aug. 10, Facebook deleted the account and verified that it was a fake. The Facebook account of a Chinese biologist had just one story and three friends.
The fake Swiss scientist’s account was removed from Facebook after the state-run media in China condemned the fake scientist’s comments. A Chinese state-run news website also reported on the fake scientist’s posts. The accounts’ creators of these stories have been banned from the social media site, but they are still on the website. The Swiss embassy in Beijing has asked Facebook to take down the comments. They say the comments are not his original.
The Swiss embassy in Beijing has called the Chinese state-run media for fabricating fake Swiss scientists. The fabricated scientist was quoted in the media, blaming the US government for its role in the World Health Organization investigation of the alleged “evil” virus. There is no scientific research about the Swiss scientist, and his Facebook account has no academic articles. It has only one story and three friends. That means that the fake Swiss scientist is a phony.
The fictitious Swiss scientist account was reportedly banned by China’s state-run media after posting comments criticising the World Health Organization and the United States. Ultimately, the Chinese state-run media was also forced to remove the fake scientist’s posts. The embassy also said that the Swiss government does not have a record of the fake scientist. This is a major scandal for the Chinese government. A report by the State-run media in Beijing called for the Swiss Embassy to investigate the matter further.
The Swiss embassy in Beijing has called out the Chinese state-run media for its fake scientist account. The account, named Wilson Edwards, has been reported as criticizing the US and the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 pandemic in recent months. But the fake scientist’s identity is unknown. Moreover, the account has not been credited in any academic publications or registry. Despite this, the embassy defended the social media as a source of the “fake Swiss scientists.”
In China, state-run media has been criticized for using a fake scientist’s name to spread false stories. According to the Swiss embassy in Beijing, the Chinese state-run media has fabricated a fake scientist’s name to manipulate public opinion on social media. The fictitious scientist, who posed as a Swiss biologist, has no academic credentials or a public registry. Hence, it is hard to trust him or her.
