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Spamouflage Dragon: China overwhelms social media with counterfeit Trump advocates to sway US elections
Numerous Chinese internet trolls are generating phony profiles on social media, pretending to be Donald Trump advocates. These profiles then disseminate various gossips, propaganda, and conspiracy theories about Joe Biden, both Democrats and Republicans, vilifying them.
In 2016, Russia meddled in the US Presidential elections primarily through the manipulation of social media. However, by 2024, it appears that China has adopted Russia's strategy and amplified it.
Recent disclosures from US researchers and government authorities have revealed an alarming trend: hidden Chinese profiles are impersonating supporters of ex-President Donald J. Trump. These accounts are intentionally disseminating conspiracy theories, intensifying internal conflicts, and initiating assaults on President Biden, presumably in preparation for the forthcoming November election.
This suggests a possible shift in the tactics used by Beijing to sway American politics. Similar to Russia's approach prior to the 2016 election, China appears to be taking advantage of the political rift between Democrats and Republicans in an attempt to weaken the policies of the Biden administration.
Several of these Chinese profiles pose as ardent Trump fans, with one even stating "MAGA all the way!!" while disseminating incorrect data about Biden. Analysts have found the complexity of this operation startling, pointing out that Chinese profiles have never previously masqueraded as American Trump supporters so believably.
The operation is connected to a well-established network of accounts affiliated with the Chinese government, commonly referred to as Spamouflage or Spamouflage Dragon. While these accounts used to share content supporting Beijing in Mandarin, they have recently begun masquerading as genuine Americans and producing content in American English.
Furthermore, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies has spotted 170 counterfeit pages and profiles on Facebook promoting messages against America, which includes criticism of President Biden. These activities have successfully garnered authentic interactions and have become progressively challenging for investigators to detect.
Though the underlying political motives of these initiatives are still uncertain, it is feared that China might favor another term under Trump's leadership rather than Biden's, despite occasional conflicts with Trump.
The American government is deeply concerned about China's activities. In February, the National Intelligence Director's Office revealed that China is intensifying its efforts to disrupt US leadership and democratic values. There is a growing concern that China might utilize advanced tactics to manipulate American elections and suppress those who criticize China.
As the November polls draw near, experts on internet misinformation are becoming markedly worried. Russia persists with its underhanded tactics to sway opinions in the US, disseminating propaganda in the midst of its dispute with Ukraine. The struggle to counteract misleading narratives and unfounded conspiracies is made more difficult by the declining moderation on social media and political resistance.
Past endeavors by China to promote its beliefs in the Western world have met with difficulties, however, their latest initiatives aim to take advantage of the existing rifts within the U.S. political landscape. These strategies include participation in contentious discussions on topics like LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and criminal activities, predominantly adopting a conservative viewpoint.
Earlier in 2023, Meta declared that it had undertaken its most substantial purge of accounts yet, all of which were associated with a group it labels as "Spamouflage Dragon". Meta has linked this group to the Chinese Communist Party. The company's investigators identified posts from this group across 50 diverse social media platforms. Moreover, Google reported the deletion of 160,000 accounts connected to this group, which they refer to as "Dragonbridge."
Despite attempts to fight against them, counterfeit profiles persistently reappear. China's digital harassment of political protesters has escalated, with the FBI reporting instances of surveillance and physical intimidation.
In 2023, American officials disclosed how they uncovered the operations of a Chinese internet troll operation. Additionally, they indicted 34 members of China's national police for intimidating US citizens. The prosecution claimed that a division of China's Ministry of Public Safety was responsible for managing this internet troll operation, which was assigned to target critics and spread divisive misinformation in the US.
Lately, the team has progressed, employing AI-created virtual figures to give their profiles an authentic appearance, and utilizing deepfake news presenters to distribute phony reports, as per Graphika's observations.
In February, an account with ties to China circulated a discredited video claiming Biden was implicated in Ukraine. The post became popular after being shared by Alex Jones, a well-known purveyor of conspiracy theories. Despite efforts to seem genuine, the account's profile picture was stolen from a blog owned by a man from Denmark.
These disclosures highlight the immediate necessity for alertness against overseas meddling and disinformation strategies. With our democratic principles on the line, it's essential to stay analytical when confronted with internet deceit. As we approach the election, it's imperative for both officials and social media networks to amplify their initiatives to identify and counter such dishonest tactics.
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