Meta flags Chinese propaganda as a concern before 2024 election

Meta announced on Thursday that it had removed numerous Facebook accounts originating in China that were pretending to be American users. These fake accounts were found to be posting about divisive topics like abortion and health care, with the company noting that "foreign threat actors are attempting to reach audiences" in anticipation of the 2024 US election. Additionally, the fake accounts were discovered to be replicating posts from prominent Republican figures like Ron DeSantis and Democratic leaders such as Nancy Pelosi.

Meta did not identify the source of the network of fake Facebook accounts as being from China. This is part of a pattern of warnings from technology companies, which have been noticing a more aggressive targeting of American audiences by Chinese propaganda and influence operations in the past year. This is concerning as the US prepares for a potentially tumultuous and divisive presidential election in 2024, where a significant portion of the electorate may doubt the results and foreign powers like China, Russia, and Iran could attempt to influence voters and cast doubt on the voting process.

A gap in oversight

The report reveals that US national security officials have halted their efforts to alert social media platforms about potential foreign influence operations due to a legal dispute brought by Republican attorneys general. Meta executives have verified that government agencies in the US have not shared any information with the platform regarding foreign election interference since July, when the legal challenge was initiated by Republicans. The case is now set to be reviewed by the US Supreme Court.

Prior to the court case, Nathaniel Gleicher, Metas head of security policy, informed reporters that government tips had facilitated swift action against covert foreign influence operations on multiple occasions.

According to Meta's report on foreign online threats released on Thursday, it was unclear what the Chinese network of fake accounts was attempting to achieve. The company stated that it dismantled the network before it could gain any traction with real users on Meta's platforms.

A new era of misinformation?

According to Metas global threat intelligence lead, Ben Nimmo, the most significant shift in the threat landscape from 2020 has been the rise of Chinese online influence operations targeting global audiences.

In the 2016 US elections, Russia demonstrated how trolls and bots can exacerbate divisions among Americans. Analysis and US officials note that China has typically avoided such direct interference tactics, but there are indications that this may be shifting as the next election approaches.

In a September report, Microsoft analysts revealed that suspected Chinese operatives have utilized AI-generated images of the Statue of Liberty and the Black Lives Matter movement to disseminate disinformation.

The Chinese government has developed the largest online disinformation operation in the world, using it to intimidate US residents, politicians, and businesses, and occasionally threatening violence against its targets, according to a recent investigation by CNN reviewing court documents and public disclosures by social media companies. China consistently denies the existence of troll farms operating within its borders.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, stated that there have been multiple rumor campaigns and widespread dissemination of disinformation about China on social media platforms by certain individuals and organizations. This comes amid claims by Meta and other tech firms about efforts to safeguard elections, though recent actions by the company suggest a different trend.

In July, CNN reported that a number of members from Meta's team, who worked to combat misinformation and disinformation during the 2022 US midterms, were laid off. Additionally, Meta announced this month that it would now permit political advertisements on its platforms to challenge the results of the 2020 US presidential election.