350 Fake Social Media Accounts Found Pushing Pro-China Propaganda

Slashdot reader Thelasko quotes the BBC: A sprawling network of more than 350 fake social media profiles is pushing pro-China narratives and attempting to discredit those seen as opponents of China's government, according to a new study. The aim is to delegitimise the West and boost China's influence and image overseas, the report by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) suggests...

Some of the accounts — spread across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube — use fake AI-generated profile pictures, while others appear to have been hijacked after previously posting in other languages.

There is no concrete evidence that the network is linked to the Chinese government, but according to the CIR, a non-profit group which works to counter disinformation, it resembles pro-China networks previously taken down by Twitter and Facebook. These networks amplified pro-China narratives similar to those promoted by Chinese state representatives and state media. Much of the content shared by the network focuses on the US, and in particular on divisive issues like gun laws and race politics... Some accounts repeatedly deny human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, where experts say China has detained at least a million Muslims against their will, calling the allegations 'lies fabricated by the United States and the West'.

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