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Meta Disrupts Deceptive Network of Thousands of Accounts from China

Saturday 02 December 2023 - 16:00 Journalists: Dakir Madiha

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Meta recently reported the successful elimination of a network comprising thousands of deceptive and illegitimate accounts originating from China. These accounts, posing as Americans, attempted to spread divisive material related to US politics and China-US relations.

The network also disseminated content on subjects such as abortion, culture war matters, and assistance to Ukraine. While Meta did not establish a direct link between the profiles and Beijing officials, it noted an increase in such networks from China in anticipation of the 2024 US presidential elections.

According to Meta's quarterly threat report published on Thursday, China ranks as the third-largest geographical source of such networks, following Russia and Iran. The network, with over 4,700 accounts headquartered in China, used duplicated profile images and names from users globally.

Some of the content shared by these accounts appeared to be copied from X, the former Twitter platform. In certain instances, the accounts replicated statements made by both Republican and Democratic politicians in the US, displaying a lack of ideological coherence.

Meta obtained examples where a China-based account reposted a tweet from Democratic Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia supporting abortion as healthcare, while another account forwarded a tweet from Republican Representative Ronny Jackson opposing taxpayer funding for travel related to abortions.

The report acknowledged the unclear motives behind this approach, stating, "It's unclear whether this approach was designed to amplify partisan tensions, build audiences among these politicians' supporters, or to make fake accounts sharing authentic content appear more genuine."

Meta defines "coordinated inauthentic behavior" as prohibited by its moderation policies, referring to posts by groups of accounts collaborating to mislead users with fraudulent identities. While the content disseminated by these networks may be factually accurate, it aims to manipulate public sentiment, sow discord, and exaggerate the popularity of specific viewpoints.

Ben Nimmo, overseeing inquiries into fraudulent activities on Meta's platforms, noted that these networks often struggle to attract viewers but serve as a cautionary tale. He emphasized the ongoing attempts by foreign threat actors to influence people online ahead of upcoming elections.

The report also mentioned two smaller networks, one from China focusing on India and Tibet, and the other from Russia predominantly publishing English content related to the invasion of Ukraine while endorsing Telegram channels.

The shift in attention by Russian networks from illegitimate campaigns after the 2016 election to the conflict in Ukraine was highlighted. It was noted that the US government stopped providing Meta with information on foreign influence networks in July, raising broader concerns about collaboration between the government and technology companies impacting freedom of expression on social media.