The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is reportedly increasing its influence on social media platforms to push propaganda favorable to China.
The CCP has developed an extensive network of social media personalities and influencers across multiple platforms such as YouTube, FaceBook, Instagram, and TikTok to repeat government talking points, according to a Wednesday report from the Associated Press.
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The aim of such propaganda is to praise China and demean the West, according to the AP.
More than 200 influencers communicating in 38 different languages have been found to have ties to the CCP, according to a report from the research firm Miburo.
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“You can see how they’re trying to infiltrate every one of these countries,” said Miburo President Clint Watts. “It is just about volume, ultimately. If you just bombard an audience for long enough with the same narratives people will tend to believe them over time.”
Dozens of social media accounts have been found to belong to Chinese state media reporters who do not disclose their ties to the CCP and instead use labels such as “influencer,” “blogger,” or “journalist,” the AP reported.
Despite claims from American tech companies such as Facebook and Twitter to alert users and label state-owned media accounts, numerous accounts were found to be inconsistently labeled across various platforms, according to the AP. (RELATED: Thousands of Accounts Spreading Chinese State Propaganda Are Evading Bans From US Social Media)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sought to increase China’s global image through social media and increasing funds for state-controlled broadcasts operating in numerous languages, according to a report from the AP.
“Chinese media and journalists carry out normal activities independently, and should not be assumed to be led or interfered by the Chinese government,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement.
Jessica Brandt, Brookings Institution expert on foreign interference and disinformation, said, “They want to promote a positive vision of China to drown out their human rights records.”