Reportseverity: Medium2021-02-04
Graphika publishes 'Spamouflage Breakout' documenting expanded US-targeted activity
published by Graphika
Actor
PRC state-coordinated influence operation publicly attributed by Meta and Microsoft as the largest known covert online influence operation, with infrastructure and behavioural overlap with the Chines…
Summary
Graphika released 'Spamouflage Breakout', tracking the pro-Beijing influence network's pivot toward US-focused content between summer 2020 and January 2021. The report found Spamouflage produced more than 1,400 videos in the period, attacking President Trump, Secretary of State Pompeo, and after the inauguration the Democratic Party, while pushing the narrative that 'American democracy is not a model that any country should emulate'. Graphika noted growing persona sophistication but still limited authentic reach.
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reportinfluence-operationgraphika
Primary source
graphika.comOther Spamouflage events
- 2024-11-22Google exposes GLASSBRIDGE, a network of PRC PR firms laundering DRAGONBRIDGE narratives via fake news sites
- 2024-06-26Google TAG reports disrupting over 10,000 DRAGONBRIDGE instances in Q1 2024
- 2024-04-04Microsoft documents Storm-1376 AI-driven influence operations targeting Taiwan election and Maui wildfires
- 2023-08-29Meta links Spamouflage to Chinese law enforcement and removes 7,704 Facebook accounts