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Certain elements of the Anonymous hacktivist group are to launch an attack on Facebook on 5 November, in retaliation for alleged collusion by the social network with government agencies and security firms to allow them to spy on Facebook users.

News of a fresh campaign, dubbed Operation Facebook, broke overnight, with many sources referring to a YouTube video actually posted on 16 July.

The video features a digitally generated voice speaking over an Anonymous logo, warning that Facebook will be "destroyed" and encouraging any would-be hacktivists to "join the cause and kill Facebook for the sake of your own privacy".

"Facebook has been selling information to government agencies and been giving clandestine access to information security firms so that they can spy on people from all around the world," it continues.

"Some of these so-called white hat infosec firms are working for authoritarian governments such as those of Egypt and Syria. Everything you do on FB stays on FB regardless of your privacy settings."

However, there has since been some confusion over whether the video is a hoax or not.

An official Anonymous Twitter account, @anonops, said this morning that the video was a fake, claiming: "We don't kill the messenger."

The group then modified its statement a few hours later, saying that Operation Facebook is being organised by some members of the hactivist collective.

"This does not necessarily mean that all of #Anonymous agrees with it," the statement added.

There are no further details on the campaign, but if it goes ahead it is likely to take the form of a distributed denial-of-service attack.