How China’s TikTok, Facebook influencers push propaganda
2 years, 8 months ago

How China’s TikTok, Facebook influencers push propaganda

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — To her 1.4 million followers on social media, Vica Li says she is a “life blogger” and “food lover” who wants to teach her fans about China so they can travel the country with ease. “Through my lens, I will take you around China, take you into Vica’s life!” she says in a January video posted on YouTube and Facebook. The profiles often belong to Chinese state media reporters who have transformed their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts — platforms largely blocked in China — and begun identifying as “bloggers,” “influencers” or non-descript “journalists.” “They clearly have identified the ‘Chinese lady influencer’ is the way to go,” Watts said of China. A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said “Chinese media and journalists carry out normal activities independently, and should not be assumed to be led or interfered by the Chinese government.” China’s interest in social media influencers became evident in December when filings with the Justice Department revealed the Chinese Consulate in New York paid $300,000 to New Jersey firm Vippi Media to recruit influencers to post messages to Instagram and TikTok followers during the Beijing Olympics. “It’s simply to praise the Chinese government, to praise China and talk about how great China is and how bad the West is.” ___ Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey.

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History of this topic

Popular Chinese influencer Li Ziqi makes surprise online comeback
1 month, 1 week ago

Popular Chinese influencer Li Ziqi makes surprise online comeback

China Daily  

Li Ziqi, one of China's most popular influencers, made a surprising comeback on Tuesday afternoon after she stopped posting videos for more than three years. Li resumed posting online with two new videos showing how she transformed a shed into a woodland cloakroom and making wardrobe doors using the intangible cultural heritage Chinese lacquerware techniques across social media platforms, including …

Popular Chinese influencer Li Ziqi makes surprise online comeback
1 month, 1 week ago

Popular Chinese influencer Li Ziqi makes surprise online comeback

China Daily  

Li Ziqi, one of China's most popular influencers, made a surprising comeback on Tuesday afternoon after she stopped posting videos for more than three years. Li resumed posting online with two new videos showing how she transformed a shed into a woodland cloakroom and making wardrobe doors using the intangible cultural heritage Chinese lacquerware techniques across social media platforms, including …

China-linked ‘Spamouflage’ network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate
3 months, 3 weeks ago

China-linked ‘Spamouflage’ network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When he first emerged on social media, the user known as Harlan claimed to be a New Yorker and an Army veteran who supported Donald Trump for president. New research into Chinese disinformation networks targeting American voters shows Harlan’s claims were as fictitious as his profile picture, which analysts think was created using artificial intelligence. “One of the …

China is pushing divisive political messages online using fake U.S. voters
3 months, 3 weeks ago

China is pushing divisive political messages online using fake U.S. voters

NPR  

China is pushing divisive political messages online using fake U.S. voters toggle caption Ezra Acayan/Getty Images A long-running Chinese influence operation is posing as American voters on social media in an attempt to exacerbate social divisions ahead of the 2024 presidential election, according to a new report from the research company Graphika. Sponsor Message The group of fake accounts Graphika …

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?
5 months, 2 weeks ago

This country banned TikTok. What became of its influencers?

LA Times  

Is there life after TikTok? “When it got banned, I had nothing,” recalled Gaurav Jain, who was one of the country’s more than 200 million TikTok users. “I don’t think the average TikTok user has synthesized in their brain that this is going away,” said Lawrence Vincent, associate professor of the practice of marketing at USC’s Marshall School of Business. …

What’s behind the anti-Biden ‘wildfire’ among TikTok influencers
6 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s behind the anti-Biden ‘wildfire’ among TikTok influencers

LA Times  

President Biden has been courting Kahlil Greene and other young TikTok influencers since taking office, inviting them to celebrations at the White House and policy briefings on Zoom, where Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been known to pop in. Biden’s reputation on TikTok was dismal in the summer of 2020, according to Daniel Daks, who consulted for the …

Luxury influencers vanish from Chinese social media in wealth crackdown
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Luxury influencers vanish from Chinese social media in wealth crackdown

The Hindu  

Chinese social media censors have blocked multiple influencers known for showing off their lavish lifestyles after an official campaign to curb displays of ostentatious wealth online was announced. An error message displayed on the Chinese version of TikTok said Mr. Wang’s account had been blocked “due to violations of Douyin’s community guidelines”. China’s Internet watchdog in April launched the “Clear …

TikTok curbs state-affiliated media amid foreign influence fears
7 months ago

TikTok curbs state-affiliated media amid foreign influence fears

Al Jazeera  

Video-sharing app says state-backed accounts will not be recommended or allowed to advertise outside home countries. TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, has announced new curbs on state-affiliated media amid concerns about foreign interference in a major election year. The Chinese-owned platform said on Thursday that state-affiliated media accounts would no longer be recommended in users’ feeds or allowed to advertise …

China spreads MAGA conspiracy theories on faked social media accounts: report
8 months, 3 weeks ago

China spreads MAGA conspiracy theories on faked social media accounts: report

Raw Story  

Chinese accounts designed to look like they belong to American supporters of Donald Trump are taking to social media, pushing conspiracy theories and attacking President Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 election, according to researchers and government officials. Echoing disruption campaigns against the U.S. that originated in Russia, China's actions signal a more concerted push to use social media as …

Meta finds thousands of China-based Facebook accounts trying to influence opinions ahead of US, and India elections
1 year ago

Meta finds thousands of China-based Facebook accounts trying to influence opinions ahead of US, and India elections

Op India  

In its latest issue of the quarterly “Adversarial Threat” report, Facebook parent Meta said it took down a network of 4789 China-based fake and misleading accounts. In its report, Meta stated that China now ranks as the third-largest geographical source of such deceptive networks carrying out what Meta calls “coordinated inauthentic behaviour”, while Russia and Iran continue to lead. The …

Meta warns that China is stepping up its online social media influence operations
1 year ago

Meta warns that China is stepping up its online social media influence operations

NPR  

Meta warns that China is stepping up its online social media influence operations Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images China is stepping up efforts to manipulate people in other countries on social media, becoming the third most common source of foreign influence operations, behind Russia and Iran, according to Meta, the parent company of Facebook …

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down
1 year, 3 months ago

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down

NPR  

Meta says Chinese, Russian influence operations are among the biggest it's taken down Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Facebook parent Meta says Chinese law enforcement is behind the largest covert online influence operation the company has ever disrupted. Meta said the Spamouflage operation is spread across different parts of China but shares internet infrastructure …

China-based networks sowing disinformation in West: Meta
1 year, 7 months ago

China-based networks sowing disinformation in West: Meta

The Hindu  

A China-based online network tried to recruit protesters in Europe and set up a media firm in Britain as part of a disinformation campaign, Facebook owner Meta said. The network was run through a U.K.-based front company called London New Europe Ltd, Meta said, which company records and Google Maps showed operated out of a nondescript apartment building in northeast …

Right-wing story hour, part 2: Chaya Raichik and the Libs of TikTok saga
1 year, 8 months ago

Right-wing story hour, part 2: Chaya Raichik and the Libs of TikTok saga

Salon  

Chaya Raichik was standing alone off to the side of the Cleveland Park Library's main reading room. "All the fear-mongering," she'd later say, "people getting kicked off planes for not wearing masks, for two-year-olds not wearing masks… Fauci's lies…" Raichik's family was always conservative. In Raichik's summary, she adds, "This is groomer talk." * * * Back at the Cleveland …

TikTok propaganda labels fall flat in 'huge win' for Russia
1 year, 8 months ago

TikTok propaganda labels fall flat in 'huge win' for Russia

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A year ago, following …

TikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not care?
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok might get banned after ‘disaster’ testimony. Why do some TikTokers not care?

LA Times  

The U.S. government may be inching toward a radical restructuring of TikTok, if not an outright ban on the Chinese-owned social media app. “If ByteDance fights against this forced sale, TikTok will likely be banned in the US by late 2023.” “We would characterize today’s testimony. “It was a reminder that a sound business strategy for me as a content …

To woo US legislators, TikTok brings its influencers
1 year, 9 months ago

To woo US legislators, TikTok brings its influencers

Al Jazeera  

Dozens of TikTok creators lobbying on Capitol Hill in favour of the platform as legislators are set to grill its CEO. Dozens of TikTok creators – some with millions of followers on the video-sharing app – came to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby in favour of the platform, one day before legislators are slated to grill the company’s chief …

TikTok sends influencers to Washington as its troubles grow
1 year, 9 months ago

TikTok sends influencers to Washington as its troubles grow

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — TikTok is ramping up a public relations campaign to fend off the possibility of a nationwide ban by the Biden administration, and it’s bringing some unconventional advocates to help: online influencers. “We have not received a bipartisan Congressional briefing on the national security risk of TikTok.” TikTok’s response to the political pressure can be seen all around the …

Biden Administration Demands TikTok's Owners Sell Or Face Nationwide Ban
1 year, 9 months ago

Biden Administration Demands TikTok's Owners Sell Or Face Nationwide Ban

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Biden administration is reportedly demanding that TikTok be sold by its Chinese owners or risk facing a ban across the U.S. TikTok has been negotiating for more than two years with the Committee on Foreign Investment or CFIUS, a committee made up of officials from multiple government agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Justice, Homeland Security, …

Taiwan probes TikTok for suspected illegal operations
2 years ago

Taiwan probes TikTok for suspected illegal operations

The Hindu  

Taiwan's government has opened a probe into Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok on suspicion of illegally operating a subsidiary on the island, and warned that the social media platform was being used by Beijing to spread disinformation. In a statement late on Sunday, Taiwan's China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council said that on December 9 a working group under the Cabinet …

Pro-China influence campaign targeting US midterms: Report
2 years, 1 month ago

Pro-China influence campaign targeting US midterms: Report

Al Jazeera  

A pro-China online influence campaign is seeking to discredit the United States’ democracy and discourage citizens from voting in the upcoming midterm elections, according to cybersecurity researchers. The influence campaign, dubbed DRAGONBRIDGE, aims to “sow division both between the US and its allies and within the US political system itself”, including by casting doubt on the effectiveness of voting, US …

TikTok’s ties to China are once again under fire in Washington. Here’s why
2 years, 4 months ago

TikTok’s ties to China are once again under fire in Washington. Here’s why

CNN  

CNN Business — Two years after then-President Donald Trump said he would ban TikTok in the United States through an executive order, the short-form video platform is once again under scrutiny in Washington. The reporting cited leaked audio recordings of dozens of internal TikTok meetings, including one where a TikTok employee allegedly said, “Everything is seen in China.” In a …

TikTok's parent company used their news app to push pro-China stories and censor regime criticism: former employees
2 years, 4 months ago

TikTok's parent company used their news app to push pro-China stories and censor regime criticism: former employees

Raw Story  

On Tuesday, BuzzFeed News reported that ByteDance, the parent company of the video social media network TikTok, used a now-defunct U.S. news app to push pro-China content — and suppress criticism of the regime. "The four former ByteDance employees, each of whom worked on TopBuzz, claimed that ByteDance instructed members of its staff to place specific pieces of pro-China messaging …

As TikTok grows, so does suspicion
2 years, 5 months ago

As TikTok grows, so does suspicion

The Economist  

Briefing | Social media The all-conquering quaver TikTok’s rivals are nervous. In April Mr Zuckerberg announced that Facebook’s news feed, which for more than 16 years has shown users mainly posts from their friends, would become a “discovery engine”, using AI to serve up content from all over the internet—just like TikTok. Two months later Donald Trump, America’s president at …

China used TV, TikTok stars in discreet Olympics campaign
2 years, 8 months ago

China used TV, TikTok stars in discreet Olympics campaign

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” TV star, a Paralympic swimmer and a self-described “brand king” were among the Instagram and TikTok influencers who were paid by Chinese officials for a discreet campaign that promoted the Beijing Winter Olympics, new Justice Department documents reveal. Vippi Media’s campaign, targeted at U.S. social media users, reached roughly 4 million users …

TikTok App creators made fake accounts with content taken from other social platforms
2 years, 8 months ago

TikTok App creators made fake accounts with content taken from other social platforms

India TV News  

Chinese short-video-making app TikTok's parent company ByteDance allegedly made fake accounts with content taken from Instagram, Snapchat and other social media platforms, a new report has claimed. "The China-based company scraped public accounts and then duplicated them on Flipagram, a predecessor to TikTok, according to four former employees and documents viewed by BuzzFeed News," the report said late on Monday. …

How China’s TikTok, Facebook influencers push propaganda
2 years, 8 months ago

How China’s TikTok, Facebook influencers push propaganda

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — To her 1.4 million followers across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, Vica Li says she is a “life blogger” and “food lover” who wants to teach her fans about China so they can travel the country with ease. Many of the profiles belong to Chinese state media reporters who have in recent months transformed their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter …

EXPLAINED: How China's TikTok And Facebook Influencers Push Propaganda
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINED: How China's TikTok And Facebook Influencers Push Propaganda

News 18  

To her 1.4 million followers on social media, Vica Li says she is a “life blogger” and “food lover” who wants to teach her fans about China so they can travel the country with ease. “Through my lens, I will take you around China, take you into Vica’s life!” she says in a January video posted on YouTube and Facebook. …

Kris Wu allegations: Chinese regulators eye unruly online fans and pop culture shows as their next crackdown targets
3 years, 4 months ago

Kris Wu allegations: Chinese regulators eye unruly online fans and pop culture shows as their next crackdown targets

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN Business — Chinese internet and media regulators are pledging to come down hard on “unhealthy” online fan groups as supporters of pop star Kris Wu took to social media to vehemently defend him against allegations of rape. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection — the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog — said Thursdaythatthe Cyberspace Administration of …

TikTok weaponized: Experts reveal how China influences elections, controls media and propaganda, hail India for banning Chinese apps
4 years ago

TikTok weaponized: Experts reveal how China influences elections, controls media and propaganda, hail India for banning Chinese apps

Op India  

Experts who came together in a webinar organised by Usanas Foundation on 9th December revealed the dangerous methods of propaganda used by China to influence elections globally, spy on other nations using their educational institutions and other methods, weaponise Chinese apps and essentially, how their espionage activities have intensified in the past few years. He said that China uses public …

TikTok troubles narrow gap between Beijing and ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming
4 years, 3 months ago

TikTok troubles narrow gap between Beijing and ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming

Live Mint  

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has long positioned himself as a global internet entrepreneur, largely eschewing Chinese government involvement, but U.S. demands to sell his crown jewel TikTok are testing the boundaries with Beijing. A year ago, ByteDance was approached by the Chinese government with offers of help when TikTok, a short-video app with a huge following among young people globally, …

Rural bloggers cultivate loyal followers on social media and boost income
4 years, 3 months ago

Rural bloggers cultivate loyal followers on social media and boost income

China Daily  

Qiu Kai, a beekeeper in Changxing county, Zhejiang province, introduces his locally-produced wares during a livestream. "Rural China is giving birth to the next generation of internet celebrities," said Clayton Dube, director of University of Southern California 's US-China Institute, during a webinar titled Rediscovering the Chinese Countryside in the Age of Social Media. Dianxi Xiaoge, a young local woman …

TikTok | Clock is ticking for internet giant
4 years, 4 months ago

TikTok | Clock is ticking for internet giant

The Hindu  

In an executive order issued on August 6, U.S. President Donald Trump gave the hugely popular short video-sharing social media app TikTok, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, 45 days to find a buyer. The order on TikTok pointed to the app’s links to the Communist Party of China, saying all data collected by it “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party …

It’s Not Just TikTok. Chinese Firms Face More US Roadblocks
4 years, 4 months ago

It’s Not Just TikTok. Chinese Firms Face More US Roadblocks

Wired  

Mark Zuckerberg put his lungs on the line in March 2016. “These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether it’s TikTok or WeChat, are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist party, their national security apparatus,” Pompeo said. “Those are the issues that President Trump’s made clear we’re going to take care of.” Tencent’s WeChat, a social …

Influencer exits. Ban threats. Can TikTok weather the storm?
4 years, 4 months ago

Influencer exits. Ban threats. Can TikTok weather the storm?

LA Times  

TikTok influencer Noah Beck used to regularly post videos on TikTok, but due to concerns over how the app manages his user data, is now encouraging his fans to follow him on Triller. “Right when I’m starting to gain a huge following.. It’s super disappointing.” Feeney is among a growing number of influencers who are worried about TikTok’s future as …

Popular TikTok stars to leave platform for rival app over data privacy concerns
4 years, 4 months ago

Popular TikTok stars to leave platform for rival app over data privacy concerns

LA Times  

When Josh Richards first began posting lip-syncing videos as a high school freshman four years ago, he never imagined he would one day become a huge TikTok star. But now Richards has decided to leave the platform that made him a star, citing growing concerns about TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance and how it manages user data. Hollywood Inc. Amid …

TikTok Founder Zhang Yiming Devising Ways To Counter Threat Of US Ban: Report
4 years, 5 months ago

TikTok Founder Zhang Yiming Devising Ways To Counter Threat Of US Ban: Report

ABP News  

July 24: The man behind the popular Chinese app TikTok is an entrepreneur Zhang Yiming, who conceptualised the popular video-sharing app, and turned it into one of the craziest and popular apps around. Also Read: No Business As Usual With China Until 'Complete Disengagement' Of Troops Along LAC In Ladakh: Indian Envoy To Russia According to the Bloomberg report, its …

Donald Trump's campaign runs Facebook ads on whether TikTok should be banned
4 years, 5 months ago

Donald Trump's campaign runs Facebook ads on whether TikTok should be banned

India Today  

US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign ran Facebook ads this weekend claiming that the Chinese-owned short video app TikTok is spying on users. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was "certainly looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok. TikTok has said that it has never provided user data to China and …

Influencer economics set for big disruption
4 years, 5 months ago

Influencer economics set for big disruption

Live Mint  

The ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps will lead to increased competition for existing micro and nano influencers on platforms, industry experts said. Celebrities with millions of followers bring reach, but micro and nano influencers are preferred for engagement, said independent political communications consultant Anup Sharma. TikTok influencers charged a tenth of what an Instagram influencer would with the …

India bans 59 chinese apps: TikTok's runaway success in India is a story best understood through the rise of the platform's many stars
4 years, 5 months ago

India bans 59 chinese apps: TikTok's runaway success in India is a story best understood through the rise of the platform's many stars

Firstpost  

To study the popularity of TikTok in India is to study an emergent Indian class, a group of individuals for whom the platform is a space inclusive of all kinds of sensibilities and contradictions. With over 1.7 million followers on the video sharing app TikTok, Sushant is among a new breed of ‘influencers’ — those who get a million hits …

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