China-linked accounts pose as US voters on X
The activity, it said, closely resembled tactics documented ahead of the 2024 US presidential election. The findings were reported by New York-based social media intelligence firm Graphika, which tracks online influence networks.
“The accounts post content questioning election integrity and the legitimacy of US democracy,” Graphika said in its blog. Liu Chang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Beijing “has never and will never interfere in the US elections.” A China-linked influence operation known as Spamouflage is active ahead of the US midterm elections, with accounts allegedly posing as American voters and circulating divisive political content on X. The findings come amid longstanding warnings from US intelligence and national security officials about foreign influence operations targeting American voters. China has rejected allegations of election interference.
Russia, China and Iran have previously been identified as countries running online campaigns aimed at shaping political narratives and influencing public opinion. In a blog post published on Friday, Graphika said it had identified a network of accounts linked to the long-running operation that were posting content targeting US politics, social issues and the electoral process.