If you’ve been an active user of Facebook recently, you may have noticed some changes to your newsfeed. Facebook’s latest sweep has deleted thousands of accounts linked to Chinese troll armies.
As Facebook calls them, these deceptive drifters were set up to manipulate public opinion by spreading propaganda and conspiracy theories. They targeted both Chinese and Western audiences to sow discord and confusion.
Who are the Chinese troll army?
The Chinese troll army, known officially as the “50 Cent Army,” is a group of state-backed internet commenters in China. According to various reports, the 50 Cent Army writes an estimated 488 million fake social media posts each year to distract, mislead, and confuse readers.
Many trolls are said to be prisoners in China’s prison system who get paid 0.5 yuan (about US$0.07) for each social media post they write.
What are they doing?
Chinese troll armies created fake social media accounts to spread propaganda and misleading information. They post comments and share content that portrays China in a positive light while smearing its critics. These paid posters work shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep the trolling going nonstop.
Some ways they try to manipulate public opinion include:
- Flooding hashtags and topics with pro-China content to drown out critical voices.
- Attacking and intimidating activists, journalists, and public figures who criticize China’s actions like human rights abuses. The trolls gang up on them with insults and threats to silence dissent.
- Pushing conspiracy theories and fake news to create confusion and paranoia. For example, they spread lies that the U.S. created COVID-19 as a bioweapon against China.
- Rallying support for China’s territorial claims by accusing other countries of “stealing” land that belongs to China. They refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet as inseparable parts of China.
Why did Facebook delete their accounts?
Facebook regularly scans for and removes accounts linked to coordinated inauthentic behavior. In August 2021, Facebook deleted over 1,000 accounts, pages, and groups tied to a Chinese troll farm for some severe reasons, including:
Violations of platform policies
Facebook does not tolerate coordinated inauthentic behavior or foreign interference on its platforms. The tech company regularly takes action against malicious networks linked to China, Russia, Iran, and other countries that violate policies and try to manipulate public debate.
Facebook’s crackdown on thousands of Chinese troll accounts shows the company’s commitment to safeguarding users from foreign propaganda campaigns and coordinated misinformation efforts. However, troll armies are persistent and adept at evolving tactics to avoid detection.
Facebook and other social media companies must remain vigilant to curb the spread of deceptive political messaging on their platforms.
Disinformation and coordinated inauthentic behavior
Coordinated inauthentic behavior refers to groups of accounts acting together to spread misleading or false information. These Chinese troll accounts posted comments and shared stories promoting Chinese Communist Party propaganda and deceptive information about political dynamics in Taiwan.
Facebook found clear links between this activity and individuals associated with the Chinese government. While small in scale, this influence operation shows how malicious actors continue to spread disinformation and propaganda on social media platforms.
Facebook has increased efforts to detect and remove coordinated inauthentic behavior, but these threat actors are also evolving tactics to avoid detection.
International and political implications
Lawmakers and experts said the influence operations show that Beijing seeks to subtly spread pro-China messages on Western social media without directly promoting the Communist Party. But China’s government said it does not conduct covert online influence campaigns.
Facebook and Twitter have identified and closed thousands of accounts that were part of a Chinese troll army aiming to distract from human rights abuses and shape global public opinion. The companies have also banned Chinese state media from advertising on their platforms.
The significance of Facebook’s deletions
As you can see, Facebook’s recent crackdown on thousands of Chinese troll accounts is a promising step toward curbing the spread of misinformation on social media. By identifying and removing these deceptive accounts, Facebook has made it more difficult for those seeking to manipulate public opinion and sow discord.
Hence, the work is far from over. With increased awareness of these issues and a demonstrated willingness by platforms to take action, there is hope that can turn in this ongoing battle for truth and transparency.
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