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Spamouflage Dragon: China inundates social media with counterfeit Trump supporters to sway US elections
Numerous Chinese internet trolls are fabricating false profiles on social media, masquerading as supporters of Donald Trump. These profiles then circulate a variety of gossip, propaganda, and conspiracy theories about Joe Biden, Democrats, and Republicans, aiming to discredit them.
In 2016, Russia meddled in the US Presidential elections, primarily through manipulation of social media. Yet, in 2024, it appears that China has not only borrowed tactics from Russia's strategy, but also significantly amplified them.
A recent disclosure by American investigators and authorities has exposed an unsettling trend: concealed Chinese profiles are masquerading as American backers of ex-President Donald J. Trump. These profiles are busily disseminating conspiracy theories, stoking internal conflicts, and initiating assaults on President Biden in the lead up to the forthcoming November election.
This suggests a possible shift in Beijing's approach to impacting US politics. Similar to Russia's methods prior to the 2016 election, it appears China is 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 masquerade as ardent Trump followers, with one purporting to be an adamant supporter of "Make America Great Again" while disseminating misleading details about Biden. Observers have voiced astonishment at the complexity of this scheme, highlighting that Chinese profiles have never previously impersonated American Trump supporters so persuasively.
The action is connected to an established group of accounts affiliated with the Chinese government, referred to as Spamouflage or Spamouflage Dragon. These accounts have recently transitioned from posting content supportive of Beijing in Mandarin, to impersonating genuine Americans and writing in American English.
Furthermore, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies pinpointed 170 counterfeit pages and accounts on Facebook promoting anti-American sentiments, including criticisms of President Biden. These campaigns have successfully garnered authentic interactions and are becoming progressively harder for analysts to detect.
Although the ultimate political motives of these movements are not completely understood, there are worries that China might favor another term with Trump as president over Biden's re-election, despite intermittent disputes between Trump and China.
The conduct of China has sparked concern within the US administration. In February, the US National Intelligence Director's Office highlighted China's efforts to extend its influence campaigns that aim to weaken US leadership and democratic principles. There is apprehension that China might employ advanced techniques to sway US elections and suppress its detractors.
As the November polls draw near, experts on internet misinformation are becoming more worried. Russia persists in using discreet methods of influence in the United States, dispersing propaganda in light of its dispute with Ukraine. The task of fighting against fake stories and conspiracy theories is made even more challenging due to the decreasing regulation on social media platforms and resistance from political quarters.
Earlier endeavors by China to promote its belief systems in the Western world have faced difficulties. However, newer strategies aim to take advantage of the ongoing rifts in American politics. These tactics include participating in polarizing discussions on topics like gay rights, immigration, and crime, largely adopting a conservative viewpoint.
In 2023, Meta shared news of its largest single account removal to date, all tied to a group it refers to as "Spamouflage Dragon." Meta has linked this group to the Chinese Communist Party. The company's researchers discovered posts from the group across 50 different social media networks. In addition, Google reported deleting 160,000 accounts associated with this group, which they've dubbed "Dragonbridge."
Even with measures in place to fight against them, counterfeit profiles keep reappearing. The FBI reports that China's cyber pursuit of critics has escalated, with instances of harassment and physical intimidation.
In 2023, it was disclosed by the American officials that they had uncovered the operations of a troll farm run by China. Additionally, they levelled charges against 34 members of China's national police force for their alleged harassment of American citizens. According to the prosecutors, a division of China's Public Safety Ministry was responsible for managing the troll farm. This farm was allegedly used to target critics and spread polarizing propaganda within the United States.
Lately, the team has progressed, using AI-created virtual personas to make their accounts appear more genuine and employing fabricated news presenters to distribute fake stories, as per Graphika.
In February, an account associated with China circulated a discredited video claiming Biden's participation in Ukraine. The post became popular when Alex Jones, a well-known promoter of conspiracy theories, shared it. Despite efforts to seem genuine, the profile picture of the account was taken from a Danish individual's blog.
These disclosures highlight the pressing requirement for alertness towards foreign meddling and disinformation strategies. With the stability of democracy on the line, it's essential to stay astute amidst online trickery. As the voting period approaches, both the government and social media networks need to step up their game to detect and neutralize any dishonest tactics.
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