Click Here Podcast Episode 176: Spamouflage: Is China’s Best-Known Disinformation Gang Taking New Aim at the US?

Release Date: October 22, 2024

Hosts: Dina Temple-Raston and Darren Linville

Introduction

In Episode 176 of "Click Here," hosted by Dina Temple-Raston and featuring Clemson University professor Darren Linville, the spotlight is on an evolving Chinese disinformation campaign known as "Spamouflage Dragon." This episode explores how China’s sophisticated information warfare tactics extend beyond election interference, serving as testing grounds for new methods to manipulate public discourse and social media platforms.

The 2022 Florida Senate Race Incident

The episode opens with a peculiar event during the 2022 Florida Senate race. In the early hours of election day, a sudden surge of strange social media posts emerged supporting Senator Marco Rubio. Darren Linville explains:

“We saw tens of thousands of posts from thousands of accounts that can best be described as vaguely supportive of Marco Rubio, but its appearance was really amateurish.” ([00:39])

These posts, resembling comic strips and originating from newly created accounts with no followers, puzzled researchers since their lack of engagement contradicted typical social media strategies aimed at maximizing reach. The activity abruptly ceased by mid-morning, raising suspicions about its authenticity and purpose.

Discovery of Spamouflage Dragon

Professor Linville, co-founder of Clemson’s Media Forensics Lab, and his team investigated the anomaly. They traced the burst of Rubio-related posts back to China, identifying them as part of a disinformation group called Spamouflage Dragon. Linville states:

“China is a much bigger threat to America than the Soviet Union ever was to America or the world.” ([01:51])

Initially, it seemed China was attempting to influence the Senate race. However, given Rubio's substantial 16-point victory, it became clear that the objective wasn’t election interference per se. Instead, China appeared to be using the Senate race as a "laboratory" to test and refine influence tactics for more critical future operations.

From the 50 Cent Army to Spamouflage

The podcast delves into the evolution of Chinese disinformation operations. The "50 Cent Army," allegedly comprising individuals paid to manipulate online discourse, has transformed into the more sophisticated Spamouflage Dragon. Dina Temple-Raston describes:

“The 50 Cent army was just the beginning. And it kind of evolved into spamouflage, which is supposed to be an improvement on the model.” ([06:56])

Spamouflage Dragon employs similar tactics seen in other nations like Venezuela and Rwanda, utilizing automated accounts to flood social media with targeted messages. Linville adds:

“It is similar to what we've seen in other countries. It's not just China that does this.” ([06:53])

The 50 Cent Army’s scale is substantial, potentially comprising hundreds of thousands of part-time workers, including university students who engage in these activities as extracurricular tasks for pocket money. Linville reflects on his own university experience, drawing parallels to Chinese operations:

“When I was in university... in China, you post on behalf of Xi in your spare time.” ([07:23])

Tactics and Impact of Spamouflage Dragon

Spamouflage Dragon's strategy involves overwhelming social media with positive content to drown out negative discussions about China. For instance, when brands like Nike criticized labor practices in Xinjiang, Spamouflage Dragon countered with thousands of positive posts about Uyghur culture and education, effectively deflecting attention from the critical issues:

“They flooded conversations around Xinjiang and Xinjiang cotton with overtly positive content.” ([08:07])

Ji Feng Li, an independent researcher featured in the episode, elaborates on China’s narrative strategies during crises, such as the 2019 Hong Kong protests. He highlights the Ministry of Public Security's involvement, indicating high-priority national security threats and a more aggressive operational scale:

“The Ministry of Public Security's involvement signals a more severe level of repression.” ([12:24])

US Response and Escalation of Chinese Operations

In response to these influence operations, the US Department of Justice indicted 34 Chinese intelligence officers in April, aiming to hold China accountable. However, as Linville notes, China has continued to escalate its efforts, adapting and expanding tactics to target high-value figures and communities, including attempts to interfere in Taiwan elections:

“Their operations have continued to escalate.” ([13:57])

Recently, Spamouflage Dragon has targeted Senator Marco Rubio once again, even though he is not running for re-election. This time, the campaign incorporated new methods such as AI-driven content, shifting from supportive to critical messaging. Linville suggests this indicates a broader strategy to experiment with different influence mechanisms:

“Sometimes you gotta throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall and some of that spaghetti is gonna stick and some of it's not.” ([15:58])

Broader Implications and Future Threats

Dina Temple-Raston and Linville discuss the broader implications of these operations on American social media and public discourse. They suggest that China's aims extend beyond direct political influence to manipulating the very algorithms and structures of social media platforms. Linville underscores the necessity of understanding and countering these tactics to safeguard the integrity of information and democratic processes:

“It's important that we... try to have as full an understanding of what countries like China and Russia and Iran are doing...” ([16:17])

Additional Cyber and Intelligence Highlights

While the primary focus remains on Spamouflage Dragon, the episode briefly touches on other top cybersecurity and intelligence stories of the week:

• North Korean Military Deployments: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that North Korean soldiers are training in Russian military bases to aid Moscow in its conflict with Ukraine. This includes the deployment of North Korean missiles, providing Pyongyang with valuable intelligence on missile performance and Western anti-missile defenses.

• Interpol’s Soga X Operation: During the European Football Championship, Interpol launched a global crackdown on illegal sports betting, arresting approximately 5,000 individuals across 28 countries and recovering over $59 million in illicit proceeds. The operation dismantled scam centers, human trafficking rings, and money laundering schemes.

• Game Freak Data Breach: The Pokémon franchise developer, Game Freak, confirmed a massive data breach in August 2024, resulting in the theft of thousands of employee names, email addresses, concept art, and details about upcoming games. In response, Game Freak has rebuilt its servers and enhanced security measures.

Conclusion

Episode 176 of "Click Here" underscores the sophisticated nature of Chinese disinformation operations through Spamouflage Dragon. Professor Darren Linville emphasizes the critical need for continuous research and vigilance to counteract these covert influence campaigns. The episode serves as a stark reminder of the evolving threats posed by state-sponsored disinformation and the importance of safeguarding democratic institutions and public discourse.

Notable Quotes:

• Darren Linville [00:39]: “We saw tens of thousands of posts from thousands of accounts that can best be described as vaguely supportive of Marco Rubio, but its appearance was really amateurish.”

• Ji Feng Li [12:24]: “The Ministry of Public Security's involvement signals a more severe level of repression.”

• Darren Linville [15:58]: “Sometimes you gotta throw a lot of spaghetti at the wall and some of that spaghetti is gonna stick and some of it's not.”

• Darren Linville [16:17]: “It's important that we... try to have as full an understanding of what countries like China and Russia and Iran are doing...”

Producer Credits: Today's episode was produced by Megan Dietry, Sean Powers, Erica Gaeda, and Jade Abdul Malik. It was edited by Karen Duffin, back-checked by Darren Ancrum, and features original music by Ben Levingston with additional tracks from Blue Dot Sessions. Staff contributions include writer Lucas Riley and illustrator Megan Gough, with Martin Peralta serving as sound designer and engineer.

Stay Tuned: Tune in on Friday for "Mic Drop," featuring our favorite interview of the week, and catch the next episode of "Click Here" on Tuesday.