Chinese online influence op tried to topple Spanish government: Graphika report
Hooded hacker with mask holding smartphone.
Credit: Shutterstock, Jakub Krechowicz
The online Chinese ‘Shadow Army’ impersonated a human rights group to stir a political storm in Spain after the Valencia DANA.
In a shocking revelation, a sinister Chinese social media scheme, dubbed Spamouflage, has been uncovered by online sleuths at Graphika, aiming to ignite political chaos in Spain. The covert operation masqueraded as the respected human rights organisation Safeguard Defenders, calling for the dramatic overthrow of Spain’s government amidst the devastating floods that claimed 224 lives last October.
A web of deceit since 2017
Graphika, the New York-based watchdog, uncovered that Spamouflage has been weaving its digital deceit across multiple nations since 2017. From meddling in last year’s US elections by impersonating voters to targeting Canadian MPs, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, this shadowy campaign shows no signs of slowing down. Now, with Spain in its crosshairs, the operation has launched a full-scale attack on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority government and the Valencia regional authorities, exploiting the nation’s grief over the catastrophic floods.
Fake fury after the Valencia floods
Dozens of bogus social media accounts, cloaked in the guise of Safeguard Defenders, flooded platforms with incendiary videos and images. One particularly inflammatory video featured a masked figure, falsely claiming allegiance to the NGO, declaring intentions to “expose” authorities for giving up on ordinary people and ultimately calling to “overthrow the Spanish government.” Although the video has since been yanked from X (formerly Twitter), the damage was done.
Complete radio silence from the Chinese
When reached for comment, the Chinese embassy in Madrid and the Spanish government remained tight-lipped, leaving many to wonder about the depth of Beijing’s involvement. During the heated 2024 US election campaign, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington said Beijing had “no intention and will not interfere” in the vote, a claim now under intense scrutiny.
Safeguard Defenders under siege
Safeguard Defenders Campaign Director Laura Harth revealed the organisation has been under relentless online assault since their 2022 report exposed China’s secret overseas police stations in EU countries.
Graphika’s grim assessment
Graphika expressed “high confidence” that the deceitful accounts are indeed part of the nefarious Spamouflage campaign. “This is the first time we have seen Spamouflage directly calling to overthrow a foreign government,” Graphika said in its latest report, highlighting the unprecedented boldness of this digital assault.
As Spain grapples with the aftermath of the floods, the revelation of foreign meddling adds another layer of turmoil. With Spamouflage’s web of lies now exposed, the battle for truth and transparency in the digital age continues to rage on. Stay tuned to the viraltrendingcontent.
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