Meta takes down China-based network of thousands of fake accounts

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, recently dismantled a network of thousands of fraudulent and misleading accounts originating from China. These accounts masqueraded as American citizens and disseminated divisive content concerning US politics and US-China relations. They broached subjects such as abortion, cultural conflicts, and aid to Ukraine. While Meta did not directly associate these profiles with Chinese officials, it has observed a surge in such networks emanating from China in the lead-up to the 2024 US elections. China now ranks as the third-largest geographical source of these networks, trailing behind Russia and Iran, according to the company.

The recent purges were detailed in a quarterly threat report released by Meta on Thursday. The China-based network encompassed over 4,700 accounts and utilized profile pictures and names plagiarized from other users globally. These accounts engaged in mutual content sharing and liking, and some of the content seemed to be directly lifted from X, formerly known as Twitter. In certain instances, the accounts replicated verbatim posts from US politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, including figures such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and others. The network exhibited no ideological consistency.

In examples provided by Meta, an account within the China-based network reposted a tweet from Democrat Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia earlier this year. She criticized Texas's abortion laws and stated, 'Let's remember - abortion is healthcare. ' Conversely, another account in the network copied a tweet from Republican Representative Ronny Jackson, who asserted, 'Taxpayer dollars should NEVER fund travel for abortions. ' Meta's report noted, '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 rules prohibit what Meta terms as 'co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour' - posts by groups of accounts that collaborate and employ false identities to deceive other users. Often, the content disseminated by such networks is not false and cites accurate news stories from major media outlets. However, instead of being utilized for legitimate commentary or debate, the posts are intended to manipulate public opinion, incite division, and make certain viewpoints appear more prevalent than they truly are. Meta stated that the extensive Chinese network was halted before it gained traction among real users. Ben Nimmo, who spearheads investigations into inauthentic behaviour on the company's platforms, remarked that such networks 'still struggle to build audiences, but they're a warning. ' He added, 'Foreign threat actors are attempting to reach people across the internet ahead of next year's elections, and we need to remain alert. ' The company also uncovered two smaller networks, one based in China and focusing on India and Tibet, and one based in Russia which primarily posted in English about the invasion of Ukraine. Russian networks, which prompted the company to concentrate on inauthentic campaigns following the 2016 election, have increasingly focused on the war in Ukraine and have attempted to undermine international support for Kyiv. Meta also highlighted that the US government ceased sharing information about foreign influence networks with the company in July, following a federal ruling as part of a legal case over the First Amendment that is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court. The case forms part of a broader debate about whether the US government collaborates with tech companies to unduly restrict the free speech of social media users.