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 and what Nimmo called "centralized directions" about what content to post. Russian anti-Ukraine network spoofed Washington Post and Fox News Separately, Meta said on Tuesday that it was continuing to take down fake accounts and ban fraudulent websites connected to a Russian influence operation aimed at eroding support for Ukraine. The "Doppelganger" operation, which Meta first identified last year, created elaborately detailed websites spoofing news organizations and then posted links to articles criticizing Ukraine and Western countries across social media.

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History of this topic

Meta took down over 20 covert influence operations in 2024, claims Russia biggest perpetrator
Trending News
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Meta took down over 20 covert influence operations in 2024, claims Russia biggest perpetrator

Firstpost  

Meta intercepted over 500,000 attempts to misuse its AI tools for generating misleading images of political figures such as Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, JD Vance, and Joe Biden in the month leading up to the US elections Meta’s security teams tackled a wide array of covert activities, including fake account networks and fabricated news websites designed to influence public discourse. …

FBI seizes websites that North Koreans allegedly used to impersonate American companies
1 month ago

FBI seizes websites that North Koreans allegedly used to impersonate American companies

CNN  

CNN — The FBI has seized multiple websites that North Korean operatives used to impersonate legitimate US and Indian businesses in a likely effort to raise money for the nuclear armed-North Korean regime, according to statements on the websites and security researchers who investigated the activity. All four websites identified by cybersecurity firm SentinelOne as North Korean fronts on Thursday …

In global game of influence, China turns to a cheap and effective tool: fake news
2 months, 3 weeks ago

In global game of influence, China turns to a cheap and effective tool: fake news

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When veteran U.S. diplomat Kurt Campbell traveled to the Solomon Islands to counter Beijing’s influence in the South Pacific country, he quickly saw just how far China would go to spread its message. Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., said allegations that China uses news websites and social media to spread pro-Beijing information and …

U.S. accuses Russia of sophisticated influence campaigns against U.S. voters
3 months, 2 weeks ago

U.S. accuses Russia of sophisticated influence campaigns against U.S. voters

NPR  

U.S. accuses Russia of sophisticated influence campaigns against U.S. voters toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday said it disrupted Russian-directed foreign malign influence campaigns it referred to as “Doppelganger,” that sought to spread Russian government propaganda. Separately, the DOJ accused two Russian employees of RT, the Russian state-owned media outlet, of a nearly $10 …

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 …

Iranian, Russian and Chinese hackers are targeting the upcoming US election at an ever increasing pace
4 months ago

Iranian, Russian and Chinese hackers are targeting the upcoming US election at an ever increasing pace

ABC  

As the 2024 US presidential election creeps ever closer, hackers in Iran, Russia and China are stepping up their efforts to interfere in the outcome. 'The destabilisation of the United States' Iranian actors believe this year's election to be "particularly consequential" in terms of their potential impact, according to the intelligence community. Iranian activity has driven a recent uptick in …

US DOJ says it disrupted Russian social media influence operation
5 months, 2 weeks ago

US DOJ says it disrupted Russian social media influence operation

Al Jazeera  

The US Department of Justice reports that it disrupted a Russian-government-backed, AI-enabled propaganda campaign to use a bot farm to spread disinformation. The United States Department of Justice has disrupted a Russian operation that used fake social media accounts enhanced by artificial intelligence to covertly spread pro-Kremlin messages in the US and abroad, it said. The news on Tuesday comes …

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 …

Explainer | What we know about China's alleged state-backed hacking
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Explainer | What we know about China's alleged state-backed hacking

New Indian Express  

BEIJING: Multiple Western nations have accused hacking groups backed by China of a global campaign of cyber espionage targeting critics, democratic institutions and other sensitive business targets. The revelations shed further light on Beijing's state-backed hacking operations, which the US has said are the biggest of any country. Here's what we know about Beijing's alleged state-backed hacking operations: 'Persistent threat' …

US and UK accuse China of cyber espionage campaign affecting millions of people around world
8 months, 4 weeks ago

US and UK accuse China of cyber espionage campaign affecting millions of people around world

ABC  

In short: The US and UK say China is behind a worldwide cyber espionage campaign that has affected millions of people. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australia was not affected by the hacking but the federal government has "serious concerns about malicious cyber activities by China state-backed actors". US and British officials have filed charges, imposed sanctions, and called out …

Pro-China influence campaign disguised as ‘news’ websites uncovered globally
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Pro-China influence campaign disguised as ‘news’ websites uncovered globally

Live Mint  

More than 100 websites disguised as local news outlets in Europe, Asia and Latin America are pushing pro-China content in a widespread influence campaign linked to a Beijing public relations firm, digital watchdog Citizen Lab has found. Citizen Lab said the campaign began in mid-2020 and traced the network to public relations firm Shenzhen Haimaiyunxiang Media Co., Ltd., also known …

2 Chinese Bloggers in Exile Warn That Police Are Interrogating Their Followers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

2 Chinese Bloggers in Exile Warn That Police Are Interrogating Their Followers

The Diplomat  

Wang Zhi’an and Li Ying said in separate posts that Chinese police were interrogating people who followed them on social media, and urged followers to take precautions. Two prominent Chinese bloggers in exile said police were investigating their millions of followers on international social media platforms, in an escalation of Beijing’s attempts to clamp down on critical speech even outside …

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 …

Facebook crackdown against fake Chinese accounts that tried to spread fake news about India | Deets Here
1 year ago

Facebook crackdown against fake Chinese accounts that tried to spread fake news about India | Deets Here

India TV News  

In its recent quarterly threat report, social media giant Meta has underlined a mounting concern involving fake Facebook accounts emanating from China, spreading fabricated news about India. These accounts, masquerading as Indian users, were extensively engaged in propagating deceptive information related to Indian politics and various national security matters. Notably, the Tibet-focused accounts posed as pro-independence activists who also accused …

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 …

China may be using AI to sway U.S. voters: Microsoft
1 year, 3 months ago

China may be using AI to sway U.S. voters: Microsoft

The Hindu  

Microsoft researchers said on September 7 they found what they believe is a network of fake, Chinese-controlled social media accounts seeking to influence U.S. voters by using artificial intelligence. A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said that accusations of China using AI to create fake social media accounts were "full of prejudice and malicious speculation" and that China advocates for …

Chinese hacking group spying on US infrastructural organisations, says Microsoft
1 year, 6 months ago

Chinese hacking group spying on US infrastructural organisations, says Microsoft

Hindustan Times  

A state- The espionage has also targeted the U.S. island territory of Guam, home to strategically important American military bases, Microsoft said in a report, adding "mitigating this attack could be challenging." Microsoft said the Chinese group, which it dubbed "Volt Typhoon," has been active since at least 2021 and has targeted a number of industries including communications, manufacturing, utility, …

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 …

Big Brother is Watching: 66,000 censorship rules control content on search engines in China
1 year, 7 months ago

Big Brother is Watching: 66,000 censorship rules control content on search engines in China

Firstpost  

New Delhi: A recent report by the Citizen Lab, a cybersecurity research group at the University of Toronto, has revealed more than 66,000 rules of censorship that control the content that is available to people using search engines in China. Search engines operating in China reportedly created algorithms to ‘hard censor’ searches that the government thought were politically sensitive. If …

US sees China propaganda efforts becoming more like Russia’s
1 year, 9 months ago

US sees China propaganda efforts becoming more like Russia’s

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — China has long been seen by the U.S. as a prolific source of anti-American propaganda but less aggressive in its influence operations than Russia, which has used cyberattacks and covert operations to disrupt U.S. elections and denigrate rivals. Lawmakers and officials are particularly concerned about countries that comprise the “Global South” in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where …

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media
2 years ago

Great Wall of Porn: How China is using sex bots to quell the COVID protests on social media

Firstpost  

A search for the names of the Chinese cities where mass, unprecedented protests are taking place over the strict zero-COVID policy saw users being flooded with lewd posts. In his long thread of messages, he added, “Sadly if a Chinese person decides to come to Twitter to find out what happened in China last night, these nsfw posts shared by …

China deploys 'bot police' to curb dissent online following nationwide protests
2 years ago

China deploys 'bot police' to curb dissent online following nationwide protests

India Today  

Chinese netizens and cyberspace officials are intertwined in their surveillance dragnet to control the narrative around the widespread protests against the “zero Covid” policy by the government. While anti-government posts are being censored on popular Chinese social media platforms, even independent platforms outside China such as Twitter are being manipulated with paid After the deadly fire incident on Thursday, Chinese …

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 …

Meta says it removes China-based propaganda operation targeting U.S. midterms
2 years, 2 months ago

Meta says it removes China-based propaganda operation targeting U.S. midterms

The Hindu  

Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it disrupted the first known China-based influence operation focused on targeting users in the United States with political content, ahead of the midterm elections in November. The network maintained fake accounts across Meta's social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as competitor service Twitter, but was small and did not attract much of a …

Russia's 'most-complex' disinformation push since Ukraine invasion taken down, Facebook owner says
2 years, 2 months ago

Russia's 'most-complex' disinformation push since Ukraine invasion taken down, Facebook owner says

ABC  

Russia's largest and most complex propaganda push since the war in Ukraine has been taken down, according to the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Key points: The network ran dozens of sham websites designed to look like legitimate news outlets It also involved more than 1,600 fake Facebook profiles Meta says it was disbanded before gaining a large audience The …

Facebook takes down Russian network impersonating European news outlets
2 years, 2 months ago

Facebook takes down Russian network impersonating European news outlets

NPR  

Facebook takes down Russian network impersonating European news outlets Enlarge this image toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Facebook parent Meta says it has disrupted a large Russian network of fake accounts impersonating European news outlets to push a pro-Kremlin view of the war in Ukraine. Sponsor Message Russia campaign targeted European support for Ukraine Meta said the …

Meta says it disrupted China-based ops targeting US midterms
2 years, 2 months ago

Meta says it disrupted China-based ops targeting US midterms

Al Jazeera  

Operation maintained fake accounts across Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, the first sign of direct Chinese interference. The network maintained fake accounts across Meta’s social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as competitor service Twitter, but was small and did not attract much of a following, Meta said on Tuesday in a report summarising its findings. The fake accounts posed …

Meta Made Millions in Ads From Networks of Fake Accounts
2 years, 6 months ago

Meta Made Millions in Ads From Networks of Fake Accounts

Wired  

When Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg was called to testify before Congress in 2018, he was asked by Senator Orin Hatch how Facebook made money. Zuckerberg’s answer has since become something of a meme: “Senator, we run ads.” Between July 2018 and April 2022, Meta made at least $30.3 million in ad revenue from networks it removed from its own platforms for …

North Korean IT Workers Are Infiltrating Tech Companies
2 years, 7 months ago

North Korean IT Workers Are Infiltrating Tech Companies

Wired  

As Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine heads towards its hundredth day, opposition from Ukrainian forces is as strong as ever. International sanctions imposed against North Korea, for its continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, mean the nation can’t trade with other countries or bring outside money within its borders. The risks of hiring North Korean workers range from …

Pro-Russian hackers spread hoaxes to divide Ukraine, allies
2 years, 7 months ago

Pro-Russian hackers spread hoaxes to divide Ukraine, allies

Associated Press  

As Ukrainians flooded into Poland earlier this year to flee Russian invaders, a hacking group aligned with the Kremlin sought to spread rumors that criminal gangs were waiting to harvest the organs of child refugees. It’s one of several tactics outlined in a new report that outlines how Russia has used disinformation, fear and propaganda alongside bullets, tanks and soldiers …

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 …

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 …

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. …

Russia pulls down the cyber iron curtain
2 years, 9 months ago

Russia pulls down the cyber iron curtain

The Telegraph  

Russia’s internet crackdown has been almost immediate. In November 2019, Vladimir Putin ordered a new “sovereign internet law” – a series of updates to Russian legislation designed to make the country’s internet effectively self sufficient. The idea is the creation of a copy of the global internet inside Russia,” says Alena Epifanova of the German Council on Foreign Relations. She …

Facebook takes down China-based network spreading false COVID-19 claims
3 years ago

Facebook takes down China-based network spreading false COVID-19 claims

NPR  

Facebook takes down China-based network spreading false COVID-19 claims Enlarge this image toggle caption Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images The parent company of Facebook and Instagram said on Wednesday it has taken down more than 600 accounts, pages and groups connected to a Chinese influence operation spreading COVID-19 disinformation, including an account purporting to be …

Foreign tech firms such as Yahoo, LinkedIn and Epic Games are pulling out of China, here's why
3 years, 1 month ago

Foreign tech firms such as Yahoo, LinkedIn and Epic Games are pulling out of China, here's why

Firstpost  

Foreign technology firms have been pulling out or downsizing operations in mainland China as a strict data privacy law specifying how companies collect and store data takes effect Hong Kong: Yahoo Inc. is leaving the China market, suspending its services there as of Monday amid what it says is an “increasingly challenging” business and legal environment. Foreign technology firms have …

China steps up direct involvement in internet content firms
3 years, 4 months ago

China steps up direct involvement in internet content firms

Live Mint  

SINGAPORE : China is taking a more direct hand in managing its internet content companies by acquiring stakes, filling board seats and sending dedicated regulators to police content at firms more frequently, according to corporate filings and people familiar with the matter. Weibo, a social-media company with 530 million monthly active users in China as of March, said in its …

New intel reports indicate fresh efforts by Russia to interfere in 2022 election
3 years, 4 months ago

New intel reports indicate fresh efforts by Russia to interfere in 2022 election

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Biden administration is receiving regular intelligence reports indicating Russian efforts to interfere in US elections are evolving and ongoing, current and former officials say, and in fact, never stopped, despite President Joe Biden’s warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the summer and a new round of sanctions imposed in the spring. “It never really stopped, …

US indicts four Chinese nationals in a China-backed global hacking campaign
3 years, 5 months ago

US indicts four Chinese nationals in a China-backed global hacking campaign

Op India  

Four Chinese security officials have been indicted by a U.S. grand jury in a China-backed global espionage campaign, targeting dozens of companies, universities, government agencies in the US and at least 11 other countries, between July 2009 to September 2018. On July 19, the San Diego’s US Attorney’s Office and the FBI said the four Chinese nationals were working with …

US and allies accuse China of global hacking spree
3 years, 5 months ago

US and allies accuse China of global hacking spree

The Hindu  

The United States and its allies accused China on Monday of a global cyber espionage campaign, mustering an unusually broad coalition of countries to publicly call out Beijing for hacking. Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Justice charged four Chinese nationals - three security officials and one contract hacker - with targeting dozens of companies, universities and government agencies in the …

How China’s Hacking Entered a Reckless New Phase
54 years, 11 months ago

How China’s Hacking Entered a Reckless New Phase

Wired  

For years, China seemed to operate at the quieter end of the state- On Monday, the White House joined the UK government, the EU, NATO, and governments from Japan to Norway in announcements that spotlighted a string of Chinese hacking operations, and the US Department of Justice separately indicted four Chinese hackers, three of whom are believed to be officers …

Army of fake fans boosts China’s messaging on Twitter
3 years, 6 months ago

Army of fake fans boosts China’s messaging on Twitter

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — China’s ruling Communist Party has opened a new front in its long, ambitious war to shape global public opinion: Western social media. A seven-month investigation by the Associated Press and the Oxford Internet Institute, a department at Oxford University, found that China’s rise on Twitter has been powered by an army of fake accounts that have retweeted Chinese …

Facebook says U.S. is the most targeted country by hackers on its platform
3 years, 6 months ago

Facebook says U.S. is the most targeted country by hackers on its platform

The Hindu  

Hackers operating fake accounts on Facebook have improved their tactics to attack users on the platform, with the U.S. being the most targeted country between 2017 and 2020, according to a Facebook report. Cybercriminals on the social network have moved to attacking users through smaller campaigns, after the social network started using automation to block hackers conducting high-volume operations. Facebook …

Chinese hackers used Facebook to spy on Uighurs abroad, firm says
3 years, 8 months ago

Chinese hackers used Facebook to spy on Uighurs abroad, firm says

Al Jazeera  

Facebook says hackers used the site to lure activists, journalists, dissidents to others containing links to malware. Facebook Inc says it has blocked a group of hackers in China who used the platform to fool Uighurs living abroad into clicking on links to malware that would infect their devices and enable surveillance. It said the majority of the hackers’ activity …

Chinese hackers used Facebook to target Uighurs abroad
3 years, 8 months ago

Chinese hackers used Facebook to target Uighurs abroad

Hindustan Times  

Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it had blocked a group of hackers in China who used the platform to target Uighurs living abroad with links to malware that would infect their devices and enable surveillance. It said the majority of the hackers' activity occurred away from Facebook and that they used the site to share links to malicious websites rather …

Chinese Hackers Made Fake Facebook Profiles, Apps To Spy On Uyghur Activists
3 years, 9 months ago

Chinese Hackers Made Fake Facebook Profiles, Apps To Spy On Uyghur Activists

NPR  

Chinese Hackers Made Fake Facebook Profiles, Apps To Spy On Uyghur Activists Enlarge this image toggle caption Jenny Kane/AP Jenny Kane/AP Chinese hackers used fake Facebook profiles and spoof websites to target Uyghur activists with spy malware, the social media company announced on Wednesday. Using various cyber espionage tactics, Facebook said, members of Earth Empusa or Evil Eye sought out …

China steps up online controls with new rule for bloggers
3 years, 10 months ago

China steps up online controls with new rule for bloggers

The Hindu  

Ma Xiaolin frequently wrote about current affairs on one of China's leading microblogging sites, where he has two million followers. A week after unveiling the new rules in late January, the administration held a nationwide conference on the importance of “strengthening order in online publishing.” The head of the agency, Zhuang Rongwen, said the agency must “let our supervision and …

China's Cyberspace Watchdog Shuts Down 18,489 'Illegal' Websites
3 years, 10 months ago

China's Cyberspace Watchdog Shuts Down 18,489 'Illegal' Websites

News 18  

China, which tightly controls the country’s internet access, shut down 18,489 “illegal” websites last year and issued warning notices to 4,551 online platforms, according to the official media. Some of the websites were shut down for promoting online games or dating information in the guise of online courses while others were punished for spreading illegal materials, including pornographic and violent …

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