Under siege: Huge network of Chinese fake accounts set up to disrupt India, US 2024 polls exposed
In a recent quarterly disclosure by Meta, the corporate umbrella of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, it was unveiled that Meta successfully dismantled an extensive network of over 4,700 fraudulent accounts originating from China. These accounts, masquerading as Americans and Indians, were actively involved in spreading misleading information on contentious subjects related to US politics and US-China relations, as well as Indian politics.
While Meta refrained from directly implicating Chinese officials in Beijing, the company expressed apprehension regarding the proliferation of such networks originating from China, particularly in light of the impending 2024 US elections. According to Meta’s findings, China now stands as the third-largest geographical source of such deceptive networks, trailing behind Russia and Iran.
The deceptive Chinese network, as detailed in the report, delved into various topics such as abortion, culture war issues, and aid to Ukraine. The accounts utilized stolen profile pictures and names from legitimate users globally, engaging in activities such as sharing and liking each other’s posts. Notably, some of the content seemed to be directly lifted from X, formerly Twitter.
Among the network’s activities, some accounts were discovered to verbatim copy posts from US politicians, spanning both Democrats and Republicans, including figures like Nancy Pelosi, Gretchen Whitmer, Ron DeSantis, Matt Gaetz, and Jim Jordan. Meta highlighted that the network exhibited no consistent ideological stance.
Meta’s report has raised questions about the network’s objectives, 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.”
The company’s moderation policies explicitly prohibit “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” referring to posts from groups of accounts working together with false identities to mislead users. While the content disseminated by these networks often references accurate news stories, Meta emphasized that the intent is to manipulate public opinion, sow division, and artificially amplify certain viewpoints.
According to Meta, the extensive Chinese network was thwarted before gaining significant traction among real users. Ben Nimmo, leading investigations into inauthentic behavior at Meta, commented that these networks “still struggle to build audiences, but they’re a warning,” underscoring the ongoing efforts by foreign threat actors to influence people online in the lead-up to the upcoming elections.
In addition to the sizable Chinese network, Meta also uncovered two smaller networks—one from China focusing on India and Tibet, and another from Russia posting primarily in English about the invasion of Ukraine and promoting Telegram channels. The report highlighted that Russian networks, previously scrutinized since the 2016 election, have shifted their focus to the Ukraine conflict, attempting to undermine international support for Kyiv.
In a noteworthy development, Meta pointed out that the US government ceased sharing information about foreign influence networks with the company in July, following a federal ruling related to a First Amendment legal case. This decision is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court, contributing to the broader debate about the collaboration between the US government and tech companies and its potential impact on the free speech of social media users.
