Meta shuts down 4,800 accounts for suspected China-based influence operation : Analysis

Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, has revealed that it has removed almost 4,800 fake accounts linked to a China-based influence campaign. The campaign aimed to spread content that would create divisions in US politics ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Meta detected this influence operation, along with another China-based campaign, in the third quarter of 2023. The accounts involved in the campaign posted in English about US politics and US-China relations, criticizing both sides of the political spectrum. These accounts used copy-pasted partisan content from unidentified sources. Meta stated that it was uncertain if this approach aimed to amplify partisan tensions, gain support from politicians’ followers, or give the fake accounts a more authentic appearance. In addition to these China-based campaigns, Meta has shut down five other influence campaigns from China this year. It did not specify whether these campaigns were linked to the Chinese government or any other particular individuals or groups in China.

Source: Aljazeera news: Meta shuts 4,800 accounts over alleged China-based influence operation