jfid – Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently announced that they have removed thousands of fake accounts suspected to be involved in a massive disinformation campaign linked to China.
This campaign is referred to as the world’s largest hidden cross-platform disinformation network, spreading positive content about China and negative content about the United States, the West, and Chinese critics.
Background
Meta stated that they conducted an investigation for over a year to uncover this disinformation network, which was also active on other platforms such as Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and dozens of other social media platforms.
According to Ben Nimmo, Global Threat Intelligence Lead at Meta, this network had over 500 thousand followers, mostly non-authentic accounts originating from Bangladesh, Brazil, and Vietnam.
Nimmo explained that the network used a technique called “spamouflage,” hiding propaganda content among harmless content like animal videos, sports, or music to evade detection and enhance account credibility.
The propaganda content included posts and comments praising China, promoting Chinese foreign policies, condemning the United States and its allies, and spreading misinformation about the origin of COVID-19.
Meta mentioned finding evidence linking some of these fake accounts to individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement. However, they couldn’t determine whether the network was supported or sponsored by the Chinese government.
Impact
Meta claims to have removed 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 pages, 15 groups, and 15 Instagram accounts related to this disinformation network.
However, they acknowledge that the network still operates on other platforms and may attempt to create new accounts on Meta. Therefore, they urge users to be cautious and critical of the content they encounter on social media.
Meta also warns that such disinformation campaigns will continue to emerge from China and Russia, especially leading up to the 2024 United States presidential election. They state their commitment to collaborating with partners and authorities to identify and remove disinformation networks threatening democracy and cybersecurity.
Responses
The removal of this disinformation network by Meta has prompted various responses from different parties:
- Chinese Government: No official response has been provided by the Chinese government regarding the removal of this disinformation network. Previously, they denied involvement in social media disinformation campaigns, accusing the United States and the West as major players in global disinformation.
- U.S. Government: The U.S. government has not issued an official response to the removal of this disinformation network. However, they have previously criticized China as the biggest threat to freedom and democracy worldwide, accusing China of conducting influence operations and espionage on social media.
- Social Media Observers: Some social media observers appreciate Meta’s move to remove this disinformation network, considering it evidence of Meta taking the issue of disinformation on their platform seriously. However, they also criticize Meta for being slow and less transparent in the investigation and removal process, suggesting that Meta should enhance cooperation with other platforms and civil society.
- Social Media Users: Social media users’ reactions to the removal of this disinformation network vary based on their political views and social media preferences. Some users thank Meta for their efforts to clean their platform from fake and misleading content. Others doubt the truth and motives behind Meta’s removal of this disinformation network, considering it a form of censorship and interference with freedom of speech. Some users express indifference or claim to be unaffected by this disinformation content, choosing to ignore it or seek information from other sources.
Conclusion
Meta has removed thousands of fake accounts suspected to be involved in a massive disinformation campaign linked to China.
This campaign is referred to as the world’s largest hidden cross-platform disinformation network, spreading positive content about China and negative content about the United States, the West, and Chinese critics.
Meta stated finding evidence linking some of these fake accounts to individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement but couldn’t determine whether the network was supported or sponsored by the Chinese government.
Meta also warns that such disinformation campaigns will continue to emerge from China and Russia, especially leading up to the 2024 United States presidential election.
The removal of this disinformation network has prompted various responses from governments, observers, and social media users.
