The spam campaign, “Spamouflage,” hit more than 50 platforms and forums, including TikTok, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), according to Meta. Meta says the accounts are under a single influence operation and the campaign could be linked to individuals involved in security services in China.
Spamouflage has been described as the “largest, most prolific covert influence operation known in the world today.” However, according to Meta, the spam campaign was not successful. Other users of the platforms would not have commented much on the messages and would also have pointed out false claims to the accounts. The critical messages were, for example, about the foreign policy of countries. The accounts also spoke negatively about critics of the Chinese government.
The accounts were managed in different places in China. According to Meta, those accounts were probably behind groups that work in office shifts, with breaks for lunch and dinner. Some parts of the network have been active since 2018.