Meta Purges Massive Influence Operation Linked to China’s Law Enforcement

Meta purged thousands of accounts from its platforms that were spreading pro-Chinese communist and anti-U.S. propaganda.

A member of the hacking group is using a website that monitors global cyberattacks on his computer at an office in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, on Aug. 4, 2020. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has purged from its platforms thousands of fake accounts that the tech firm says were linked to China’s law enforcement agencies and formed the world’s largest online influence operation.

The removed accounts were associated with a China-based operation nicknamed “Spamouflage” by the cybersecurity community, a report published by Meta on Aug. 29 states.