China’s covert online influence operations, known as “Spamouflage,” have aimed at U.S. political conversations, escalating concerns about foreign interference in American elections. A social media user named Harlan was identified as part of a Chinese disinformation network targeting U.S. voters. Spamouflage utilizes AI-generated personas to build fake social media accounts appealing to a left or right-wing audience. Platforms like X and TikTok have been suspending accounts linked to the campaign.
Deceptive Personas Fuel Disinformation
A social media persona claiming to be a New Yorker and Army veteran, named Harlan, was discovered to be part of a Chinese disinformation network targeting American voters. His profile, reportedly containing AI-generated images, shifted over time, enhancing the operation’s deceptive approach to influence. The Harlan Report turned out to be a part of Spamouflage, shedding light on foreign endeavors to manipulate American political discourse. Such initiatives underscore the complexity of counteracting these influence operations.
Spamouflage, coordinated by Chinese state actors, exemplifies a widespread effort to entrench discord within U.S. political spheres. This campaign spreads a mixture of unrelated content interlaced with disinformation, seeking to distort public opinion and highlight critical issues among American voters.
Spamouflage, a sprawling Chinese multiplatform influence operation, has persisted over many years despite numerous attempts by social media companies to delete thousands of accounts associated with this malign influence campaign.
Read all about it here:https://t.co/cxBRC5Ph34
— FDD's Center on Cyber & Technology Innovation (@FDD_CCTI) September 28, 2024
A Broader Foreign Strategy
Spamouflage is merely a fragment of a more extensive foreign strategy, involving countries like Russia and Iran, aiming to influence U.S. political discussions through various online platforms. China’s focus is not to back a particular presidential candidate but to amplify significant topics, such as U.S. policy toward Taiwan. According to cybersecurity experts, Chinese state efforts have progressed from disseminating generic pro-China content to focusing on divisive U.S. political subjects.
“One of the world’s largest covert online influence operations — an operation run by Chinese state actors — has become more aggressive in its efforts to infiltrate and to sway U.S. political conversations ahead of the election,” Jack Stubbs, Graphika’s chief intelligence officer, told The Associated Press.
Social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, have taken action against Spamouflage accounts, suspending them to curtail misinformation spread. Despite this, the influence campaign intensifies its presence as the U.S. presidential election nears, showing a preference to leverage existing grievances rather than fostering new narratives.
Our latest from the @scrippsnews Disinformation Desk:
Social media analytics firm Graphika's tracking a Chinese-linked influence operation dubbed "spamouflage" that's attempting to infiltrate & sway U.S. political convos ahead of the 2024 prez electionhttps://t.co/UdHXGw5NhR— Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders) September 3, 2024
Evolving Tactics and Challenges
Chinese influence operations continue to evolve, adopting more sophisticated means to imitate American users and address divisive domestic issues. Graphika’s research highlights how these tactics refine propaganda efforts, serving China’s strategic interests and complicating efforts to effectively counteract them. With the upcoming presidential election on November 5th, discussions within the U.S. government have begun on how these foreign activities aim to influence public opinion and sway voter sentiment.
“It shows that Chinese influence operations targeting the U.S. are evolving and they’re engaging in these more advanced, deceptive behaviors,” Jack Stubbs, Graphika’s chief intelligence officer, told CyberScoop.
Efforts remain largely ineffective in gaining organic traction, but the persistent attempts to exploit social divisions pose a real challenge to maintaining electoral integrity. By continuing to refine and expand their approach to intelligence and influence, foreign adversaries are progressively eroding the trust of the American public in the democratic process.
