French anti-vaxxers buying fake Covid passes online

Many buying the forgeries, which can be used across the European Union (EU), are being redirected from websites such as Instagram and Facebook to the Telegram encrypted messenger where they can be bought discreetly, according to a study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD).

But the French government last month gave approval for a vaccine pass that excludes unvaccinated people from restaurants, sports arenas and other venues. That has made acquiring a fake pass, which can be used across the EU member states, more desirable for anti-vaxxers, according to ISD.

Meta says it prohibits anyone from buying or selling fake, or genuine, medical documents on its platforms, including Covid vaccine certificates. It added that it would remove adverts when identified and disable any accounts, pages or groups that break its rules.

The Guardian also contacted Snapchat and Telegram for comment.