In 2022, Meta found and removed several clusters of activity that relied on fake accounts to post content. This network of accounts originated in the U.S. and promoted U.S. interests in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Russia.
In February 2021, social media analysis firm, Graphika released a report on a propaganda network that uses a mixture of bots, fake accounts and stolen accounts to push and amplify videos and other media materials that favour one country called “Spamouflage Dragon” and discredit the U.S, including on issues such as the safety of Western-made vaccines.
In 2020, the BBC reported on a 15-year global disinformation campaign to service one country’s interests. This campaign spread over at least 116 countries (more than half the world’s countries), targeted members of the European Parliament as well as the United Nations, involved the use of stolen accounts and at least 750 fake media outlets, and was amplified with the help of a legitimate foreign wire service.
In 2019, a disinformation network was traced to Iran. This comprised posts from fake persons, which sought to influence U.S. policymakers, reporters and academics. Some of these were eventually carried in legitimate publications.
Others
In 2019, a former chairman of a European foreign friendship group was sponsored flights and hotel stays by a foreign government, and subsequently voiced views that supported that government’s policies on various issues.
In 2017, an Australian former Senator apparently received donations from an individual with connections to the PRC government. He then advocated for China’s position on the South China Sea.
