Report: Chinese Online Influence Campaign Targets US Voters before November Election
The Chinese regime’s campaign has intensified in its efforts to influence U.S. political conversations prior to the election, according to Graphika’s Jack Stubbs.
Termed “Spamouflage” or “Dragonbridge,” the regime’s disinformation campaign involves disseminating unrelated content alongside falsehoods, operating on over 40 platforms using fake accounts to promote pro-China and anti-Western narratives.
Leading up to the U.S. election, Spamouflage has upped its use of fake personas mimicking U.S. voters or social media users based in the U.S., aiming to infiltrate and manipulate political discussions.
Graphika discovered 15 Spamouflage accounts on X platform and one on TikTok, impersonating Americans and advocates concerned with peace, human rights, and integrity.
Stubbs, chief intelligence officer at Graphika, noted that Spamouflage has evolved into a significant covert online influence operation run by Chinese state actors, intensifying its efforts to impact U.S. political discourse.
Researchers report that these fabricated accounts focusing on divisive issues like gun control and racial matters have been promoting content denigrating both Democratic and Republican candidates.
Regarding the CCP’s disinformation campaign, Tseng Yisuo from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan highlighted the regime’s strategy to create division and weaken confidence in democratic systems.
Campaign Aims to ‘Intensify the Confrontation’
Retired Taiwanese Maj. Gen. Yu Tsung-chi emphasized that the CCP’s cyber army targets both Democrat and Republican factions to instigate conflict and weaken the U.S., with the ultimate goal of gaining an advantage in military aggression.
