Chinese influence operation targets down ballot races, Microsoft says

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******** influence operation targets down ballot races,

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says

Voters enter a polling location to cast their ballots in the state’s primary on March 5, 2024 in Oxford, Alabama. 15 States and one U.S.

Elijah Nouvelage | Getty Images

An army of ********-controlled social media bots is attempting to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, while denigrating Florida Senator Marco Rubio, according to new research published on Wednesday by

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The operation represents a coordinated interference effort against down ballot races, experts say, in which the fake accounts are denigrating Representative Barry Moore of Alabama, Texas representative Michael McCaul, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and Rubio, all Republicans.

The troll network has “parroted antisemitic messages, amplified accusations of *********** and promoted opposition candidates,” according to

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The group responsible is known as Taizi Flood, which has been previously associated with China’s Ministry of Public Security, researchers say. The lawmakers were each targeted because they had denounced ******** government policies historically, the report notes.

China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Among other things, the bots criticized Moore’s support for ******* and used antisemitic language. Another collective of related accounts claimed Rubio was part of a financial *********** scheme.

US Senator Marco Rubio, *********** of Florida, speaks to the press ahead of the presidential debate between US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and former US President and *********** presidential candidate Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. 

Matthew Hatcher | Afp | Getty Images

The bots amplified support for Blackburn’s election rival while spreading claims she took money from pharmaceutical companies. With McCaul, they pushed narratives that he engaged in insider trading.

Moore, McCaul and Blackburn are all running for reelection next month. Rubio, who serves as vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, is not up for reelection until 2028.

The

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researchers found the influence effort did not result “in high levels of engagement.” The report did not provide any metrics for how many Americans viewed the relevant social media posts.

A spokesperson for Moore, Madison Green, said his office was aware of the campaign.

“We know that the CCP is antisemitic, so it isn’t surprising that they are targeting me and other politicians who support ******* to try sow division in advance of the most important election in our lifetime,” said Moore.

“China has made it clear they will use every ******* in their arsenal, including offensive cyber capabilities, to try and ******** democracy across the world,” he added.

Spokespeople for the other three lawmakers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is coordinating the federal effort to defend the election from foreign influence, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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