In the takedown, Facebook removed 155 accounts, 11 Pages, 9 Groups and 6 Instagram accounts for violating its policy against foreign interference in deceptive schemes.

Introducing the largest voting information campaign in US history. Everything you need to know about voting in one simple place. For official information from election experts and authorities, visit https://t.co/7aUSFllpTy pic.twitter.com/YtDO3KN6DQ

— Facebook (@Facebook) September 21, 2020

The account holders would have had to use techniques to circumvent China’s “Great Firewall,” which bans the US social network. Gleicher said the people running the pages posed as locals in places they targeted, and tried to hide their locations using virtual private network software.

CAUTION: today’s Facebook takedown does not mean China-interferes-in-the-2020-election. It means that “individuals in Fujian Province” spectacularly failed to interfere in the 2020 election.

Remember: some active measures are only really activated by their post-takedown coverage pic.twitter.com/mlQ6Dbm1u5

— Thomas Rid (@RidT) September 22, 2020

The first network was located in China. While it targeted the US, its primary focus was the Philippines and countries in Southeast Asia. This is the second time Facebook removed Pages associated with this campaign, the company said, and this time the people running it used a VPN to try to hide their identities.

The network targeted the US, but that wasn’t its primary focus. Accounts posted about Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg and as well as President Donald Trump, both in support and opposition.

2020 Election Los Angeles New York City TREMG news election interference facebook removes china bots