China-linked 'Spamouflage' network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate
China-linked 'Spamouflage' network mimics Americans online to sway US political debate
As voters prepare to cast their ballots in the November election, U.S. adversaries like China are making their own plans
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When analysts first noticed Spamouflage five years ago, the network tended to post generically pro-China, anti-American content. In recent years, the tone sharpened as Spamouflage expanded and began focusing on divisive political topics like gun control, crime, race relations and support for Israel during its war in Gaza. The network also began creating large numbers of fake accounts designed to mimic American users.
Spamouflage accounts don't post much original content, instead using platforms like X or TikTok to recycle and repost content from far-right and far-left users. Some of the accounts seemed designed to appeal to Republicans, while others cater to Democrats.
We need a shibboleth. Unfortunately given how America is, good luck getting enough people to agree on anything.
It’s fun sometimes to ask them what they think of NATO, or Alexei Navalny or democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong or etc.
You would think that they would say “Oh yeah I was talking about Claudia De la Cruz because I like her policies / I’m upset about Biden approving Alaskan fossil fuel leases / whatever United States thing we were talking about, but OF COURSE them killing Navalny was a horrifying human rights abuse yes.” And yet, the few times I’ve tried it, that has never happened - it’s always either “well you know he had ties to X Y Z white nationalists” or else silence.