Microsoft documents Storm-1376 AI-driven influence operations targeting Taiwan election and Maui wildfires
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
Microsoft Threat Analysis Center's April 2024 East Asia report described Storm-1376 — Microsoft's designation for Spamouflage/DRAGONBRIDGE — using AI-generated content at scale. The group circulated deepfake audio of Foxconn founder Terry Gou falsely endorsing a Taiwanese presidential candidate ahead of the January 2024 election (removed by YouTube), and during the August 2023 Maui wildfires pushed a 'weather weapon' conspiracy in at least 31 languages with AI-generated imagery. Microsoft assessed it as the first observed nation-state use of AI content to influence a foreign election.
Tags
Primary source
microsoft.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
- 2023-08-29Meta links Spamouflage to Chinese law enforcement and removes 7,704 Facebook accounts
- 2021-02-04Graphika publishes 'Spamouflage Breakout' documenting expanded US-targeted activity