US Elections 2024: China attempting to influence voters via fake X accounts, warns Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center

US Presidential polls 2024: With around a fortnight left before the world's largest economy elects its 47th President, dozens of fake X accounts linked to China, attempting to influence voters in Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee, have surfaced, new research published by Microsoft's Threat Analysis Centre revealed on Wednesday.

The targeted representatives include Barry Moore in Alabama, Michael McCaul in Texas, and Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. The accounts also attacked Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who is not up for re-election this year. All these representatives have been vocal critics of China and its policies, while the posts also criticised Moore for supporting Israel, frequently using antisemitic language, the report said.

The troll network, known as Taizi Flood, has “parroted antisemitic messages, amplified accusations of corruption and promoted opposition candidates," stated Microsoft's research report. The group has been previously associated with China's Ministry of Public Security.

One bot said Michael Mc Caul was “abusing power for personal gain,” accusing him without detailing evidence of insider trading. Meanwhile, an advertisement for Blackburn’s re-election campaign shows her smashing plates decorated with China’s name and flag. “We’re going to have to break a lot more China to save America,” she is shown in the ad, reported The New York Times.

Another X account flagged by Microsoft suggested that Blackburn accepted $700,000 in campaign donations from opioid manufacturers. According to Microsoft's report, the bots have been promoting Blackburn's opponent, Representative Gloria Johnson, since October.

Russia stays focused on Harris-Walz campaign

At the same time, Russian operatives are not far behind as they continue to take steps to undermine the Harris-Walz campaign. The MTAC report showed that Russian actors continue to create AI-enhanced deepfake videos about Vice President Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, with one of the videos spreading disinformation about Tim Walz, gaining more than 5 million views on X in the first 24 hours.

While most of these videos garnered little engagement, they highlight Russia's continued reliance on both traditional and AI-generated content to sway U.S. audiences and incite political division, stated the MCAT report. The report also mentions how some accounts have shifted from Telegram to X, aiming at a better engagement with US viewers.