Taiwan Faces Escalating Disinformation Onslaught from China
Taipei, Taiwan – Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) has sounded the alarm on a dramatic surge in disinformation attacks originating from China, with reported cases nearly doubling in 2024 compared to the previous year. This alarming trend underscores the intensifying information warfare waged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against the island nation. The NSB’s comprehensive analysis reveals a sophisticated and multifaceted disinformation campaign aimed at eroding public trust in Taiwan’s military, undermining confidence in US support, and discrediting President William Lai. The surge in disinformation aligns with China’s ongoing efforts to assert its claim over Taiwan and influence public opinion both domestically and internationally.
The NSB documented a staggering 2.159 million instances of controversial information circulating in 2024, highlighting the sheer scale of the disinformation operation. Facebook emerged as the primary battleground, experiencing a 40% increase in disinformation compared to 2023. Other platforms also witnessed substantial increases, including a 151% surge on video platforms, a 664% rise on forums, and a 244% jump on X (formerly Twitter). This multi-platform approach demonstrates the CCP’s commitment to reaching a broad audience and exploiting the vulnerabilities of various social media ecosystems. The NSB identified 28,216 questionable accounts involved in spreading disinformation, a significant increase of 11,661 accounts compared to 2023. This proliferation of suspicious accounts points to a concerted effort to amplify the reach of disinformation narratives and manipulate online conversations. With Facebook harboring 21,967 of these accounts, alongside significant increases on TikTok, X, and China’s Douyin, the NSB concluded that young internet users are the primary target of this disinformation campaign.
The evolving landscape of social media usage in Taiwan has prompted the CCP to adapt its disinformation tactics, leveraging popular platforms like TikTok and YouTube to disseminate propaganda and sow discord. The NSB’s report meticulously outlines six key tactics employed by the CCP in its disinformation operations. These include flooding social media with disinformation to manipulate public opinion, impersonating Taiwanese users and official accounts to spread fake news, exploiting military exercises for propaganda purposes, deploying AI-generated deepfakes to distort public perception of Taiwanese officials, co-opting integrated media accounts to disseminate propaganda, and establishing fake international news outlets to bolster the CCP’s "one China" principle globally.
The first tactic, flooding social media with disinformation, aims to manipulate voter behavior and influence election outcomes. This includes the dissemination of memes and videos designed to spread misinformation about candidates and political parties. The second tactic involves impersonating Taiwanese users and official accounts to spread fake news and erode public trust in legitimate sources of information. During the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Joint Sword-2024A and 2024B military drills, CCP accounts masquerading as Taiwanese officials disseminated disinformation aimed at undermining confidence in the military’s capabilities and readiness. This tactic seeks to exploit periods of heightened tension and uncertainty to sow confusion and undermine public morale.
The third tactic leverages military exercises as propaganda opportunities, using both official accounts and state media to showcase China’s military might and intimidate Taiwan. During the 2024 military drills, videos on TikTok and YouTube were widely circulated to instill fear and anxiety among the Taiwanese population. The fourth tactic involves the deployment of AI-generated deepfakes of Taiwanese officials, aiming to damage their reputation, manipulate public perception, and mislead voters. This sophisticated tactic underscores the increasing use of advanced technology in disinformation campaigns.
The fifth tactic involves co-opting integrated media accounts to spread propaganda, effectively using them as proxies for state-owned media. The NSB report identified multiple accounts on TikTok with close ties to CCP-owned outlets, highlighting the CCP’s efforts to infiltrate and manipulate popular social media platforms. The sixth tactic involves the establishment of multilingual fake news websites, such as the fictitious Czech newspaper Bohemia Daily and the fabricated Spanish outlet Guell Herald, to promote the CCP’s "one China" principle on the international stage. This tactic aims to shape global narratives and influence international perceptions of Taiwan’s status.
In response to this escalating disinformation threat, the NSB has reported 3,900 cases of disinformation to various government agencies and ministries. Taiwan has also actively engaged in international collaboration, hosting over 100 exchange events to share expertise and best practices with like-minded nations. This proactive approach underscores Taiwan’s commitment to combating disinformation and safeguarding its democratic institutions. The escalating disinformation war waged by China against Taiwan highlights the growing challenge posed by information manipulation in the digital age. This sophisticated campaign, employing a range of tactics across multiple platforms, poses a significant threat to Taiwan’s democratic processes and its ability to maintain public trust and social cohesion. As the information war intensifies, Taiwan’s efforts to counter disinformation and strengthen its resilience against these attacks become increasingly critical.
