Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Tuesday that it has successfully disrupted the “largest known cross-platform covert influence operation in the world” and uncovered connections to Chinese law enforcement.
During the second quarter, Meta took down a significant number of Facebook accounts, Pages, Groups, and Instagram accounts linked to this operation. More specifically, they removed 7,704 Facebook accounts, 954 Pages, 15 Groups, and 15 Instagram accounts, as stated in Meta’s recently released Adversarial Threat Report.
The operation, known as “Spamouflage,” targeted over 50 platforms and forums, including Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and Pinterest, according to the report.
Upon investigation, Meta discovered distinct clusters of fake accounts operated from different regions in China, suggesting a collaborative effort from a common location, possibly an office. These groups strictly followed a shift pattern with bursts of activity in the mid-morning and early afternoon, Beijing time, and then a final burst in the evening, while taking breaks for meals, as outlined in the report.
Furthermore, the fake accounts often utilized the same proxy internet infrastructure and disseminated identical content across various platforms. This content typically supported China, criticized the U.S. and Western foreign policies, and targeted Chinese detractors, the report highlighted.
Despite attempts to hide their identities, Meta revealed that it found links to individuals associated with Chinese law enforcement. Notably, the campaign exhibited lower operational security compared to other identified networks, as it frequently reused the same accounts and shared articles with distinct and notable headlines across multiple platforms and accounts.
Meta also noted that the use of typos, language mix-ups, and unique phrasings in the headlines provided clear indications for open-source researchers to uncover other related activity connected to this operation.
Moreover, the report highlighted that despite its large size, the disinformation campaign consistently struggled to extend beyond its own echo chamber due to poor quality control.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
