Facebook’s parent company, Meta, recently took action against a massive online spam operation originating from China. This operation, referred to as “Spamouflage,” was active on numerous platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X (previously known as Twitter).
According to a report by Meta, more than 7,700 Facebook accounts and 15 Instagram accounts were removed in what is considered the largest takedown in the company’s history.
The spam operation was focused on promoting China and criticizing the West, particularly the United States, Western foreign policies, and critics of the Chinese government, including journalists and researchers.
It also targeted countries like Taiwan, Australia, Britain, Japan, and Chinese-speaking audiences worldwide.
Meta took down the Facebook and Instagram accounts or pages associated with this covert influence operation for violating their rules against coordinated deceptive behavior.
Interestingly, the spam network didn’t seem to attract much engagement, and comments from viewers often pointed out the false information being spread.
The operation was carried out by clusters of fake accounts located in different parts of China.
The consistency of their activity suggested that they were working from an office with daily schedules, according to Meta’s team.
Moreover, Meta said that some tactics used in a Chinese online deception network were similar to those of a Russian network exposed in 2019.
This suggests that these operations may be learning from each other.
Source: PhilNews24 | August 30, 2023
