Microsoft Corporation has recently released an analytical report that highlights the escalating effectiveness of Chinese campaigns of influence and misinformation, supported by the government, on social networks. These campaigns aim to simulate American voters and target political candidates.
In its report, Microsoft emphasized that certain Chinese campaigns have started employing generative artificial intelligence to create visual content. This new strategy has already attracted significant engagement from “genuine” users. This trend emerged in March of this year, according to Microsoft.
The effectiveness of these campaigns has witnessed a remarkable increase, as noted by Microsoft. Historically, Chinese campaigns faced challenges in capturing the attention of their desired audiences, particularly American voters. However, these efforts have become increasingly impactful since the 2022 midterm elections in the United States.
Microsoft has identified Chinese campaign content across various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram from Meta*, Linkedin**, and X. X is a popular global platform where users can share public messages and engage with other users. It ranks among the top 10 most visited sites worldwide.
Notably, X has faced legal restrictions in Russia due to repeated violations of the country’s legislation.