What is Spamouflage? How the Chinese are attempting to influence the election
FILE-Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
With voters preparing to head to the polls in a few months, China is trying to influence the November election with a network of phony social media accounts created to imitate American users.
What is Spamouflage?
Spamouflage is a Chinese group known for spreading large amounts of unrelated content through misinformation.
As it expanded, Spamouflage focused on political issues like gun control, crime, race relations and support for Israel during its war in Gaza. The network also began creating large numbers of fake accounts to imitate American users, the Associated Press reported.
Additionally, Spamouflage accounts do not post much original content, instead using platforms like X, formerly Twitter, or TikTok to repurpose and reshare content from far-right and far-left users. Some accounts are created to attract Republicans, while others appeal to Democrats.
What one firm tracking Spamouflage is saying
Graphika is a New York-based firm that tracks online networks related to Spamouflage. Jack Stubbs, the company’s chief intelligence officer, explains to the AP that the Chinese-run operation is becoming "aggressive" in its efforts to influence U.S. political conversations ahead of November’s election.
The Chinese Embassy responds to Spamouflage claims
Meanwhile, a Chinese Embassy spokesperson refutes Graphika’s findings, telling the AP that the information is speculative, adding that China will not interfere in the upcoming election.
The AP reports that intelligence and national security officials noted that Russia, China, and Iran have all built online influence operations targeting U.S. voters ahead of the November presidential election.