In a recent revelation by Meta, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, China has been identified as one of the most assertive entities endeavoring to manipulate US public opinion through fabricated accounts on various social platforms.
Despite their persistent attempts, these efforts have largely failed to significantly impact American sentiments, Meta reported on Thursday, Nov. 30 (via NBC News).
Meta Report Sheds Light on Harmful Behaviors on Apps
Meta's quarterly report on deceptive account behavior across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads unveiled the takedown of five distinct Chinese networks aimed at foreign audiences this year.
This striking surge in removed networks from China starkly contrasts with the previous trend. "Between 2017 and November 2020, we took down two networks from China, both primarily focusing on the Asia-Pacific region," Meta stated in its report, underlining the notable shift in the threat landscape.
Two recently removed coordinated inauthentic behavior networks specifically targeted Americans, comprising nearly 5,000 fake accounts. These accounts predominantly centered their content around US politics and US-China relations.
Astonishingly, these accounts had parallels on other platforms, such as X (formerly known as Twitter), which are still operational. Despite their existence, NBC News revealed that these accounts held fewer than 100 followers each.
China's Deceptive Online Campaigns
Ben Nimmo, Meta's global threat intelligence lead, highlighted the diverse origins of China's influence operations. He noted that various groups within China were behind these efforts, attributing some campaigns to Chinese tech firms and even one to Chinese law enforcement.
When questioned about this campaign, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, denied knowledge of such an orchestrated effort. Pengyu, in an emailed statement, pointed out China's position as a target of disinformation campaigns and rumors on social media.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence's 2023 annual threat assessment report emphasized China's escalation in cyber threats, labeling it as the most active and persistent cyber espionage threat to US networks.
China's cyber pursuits and export of related technologies pose risks of aggressive cyber operations against US infrastructure and the suppression of information perceived as threatening by Beijing.
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A Closer Look
Amidst these revelations, Dakota Cary, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, commented on the persistent yet ineffective efforts to establish pro-China influence operations.
Cary suggested that bureaucratic directives might be driving these efforts despite their lack of tangible impact, as observed by companies like Meta routinely taking them down.
China's motivation for these operations, according to the ODNI report, revolves around countering anti-China sentiment in the United States, safeguarding its international image, market access, and technological prowess.
The ODNI's comparison of China's strategies to Moscow's playbook for influence operations underscores the gravity of China's attempts to sway US opinions.
Beyond influence campaigns, China's cyber espionage operations target US citizens, including journalists and dissidents, to counter viewpoints critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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