U.S. foes exploit Trump's divisiveness with fake MAGA accounts; China adopts Russian tactics
INDICTMENTS OF MULTIPLE RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS. NEVERTHELESS, THEY’RE STILL DOING IT. I MEAN, WE REPORTED HERE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ON THE RENEWED EFFORTS BY RUSSIA TO TARGET AMERICAN ELECTIONS. ONCE AGAIN, TO TRY TO PROMOTE TRUMP’S CANDIDACY AND TO TRY TO HURT HIS DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT. AND IT’S NOT LIKE
I WAS REPORTING ON SOME OBSCURE THING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WHEN WE COVERED THAT STORY. THERE IT IS, HEADLINE IN “THE NEW YORK TIMES.” SPATE OF MOCK NEWS SITES WITH RUSSIAN TIES POP UP IN THE UNITED STATES. RUSSIA’S STILL DOING IT. THEY’RE DOING IT AGAIN, AND IT IS
AS HAM-HANDED AND EMBARRASSING AS IT EVER WAS. AND THEY’RE DOING IT FOR THE SAME TRANSPARENTLY OBVIOUS STRATEGIC REASONS AS THEY DO EVERYTHING. THE DIFFERENCE IS THIS TIME, FOREWARNED IS SUPPOSEDLY FOREARMED, KNOWING IT’S COMING SHOULD MAKE US BETTER PREPARED. EXCEPT THIS TIME AROUND, SOME SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES, PARTICULARLY TWITTER,
HAVE NO INTEREST AT ALL IN EVEN TRYING TO STOP WHAT THEY’RE DOING TO TARGET THE ELECTION THIS TIME AROUND. AND THIS TIME AROUND, MANY REPUBLICANS SEEM TO HAVE LOST ANY QUALMS THEY MIGHT ONCE HAVE HAD ABOUT HELPING OUT WITH WHAT RUSSIA IS DOING. EVEN WITH THE REALLY OBVIOUSLY
FAKE STUFF. BUT NOW, HERE’S SOMETHING NEW. SOMETHING NEW ON TOP OF THAT. IT IS NO LONGER JUST RUSSIA. BECAUSE WHY WOULD IT BE? THE WAY IT’S
TRUMP BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WHY WOULDN’T THEY THROW THEIR HATS IN THE RING TODAY? IT’S NOT LIKE RUSSIA HAS PAID A PRICE FOR IT. RUSSIA APPEARS TO HAVE PURPOSED THEMSELVES A MAJOR CHUNK OF ONE OF THE TWO GOVERNING PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THAT’S BASICALLY THE PRICE
THEY HAVE PAID. FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT, HOPPING INTO BED WITH THEM IN A VERY SERIOUS WAY. THAT’S CHEAP IF YOU’RE WILLING TO BUY IT. AND SO OF COURSE, IT’S NO LONGER JUST THEM. HEADLINE TODAY IN “THE NEW YORK TIMES.” CHINA’S ADVANCING EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE
THE U.S. ELECTION RAISE ALARMS. QUOTE, RESEARCHERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SAY CHINA HAS ADOPTED SOME OF THE SAME MISINFORMATION TACTICS THAT RUSSIA USED AHEAD OF THE 2016 ELECTION. QUOTE, COVERT CHINESE ACCOUNTS ARE MASQUERADING ONLINE AS AMERICAN SUPPORTERS OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, PROMOTING CONSPIRACY THEORIES, STOEGING DOMESTIC DIVISIONS,
AND ATTACKING PRESIDENT BIDEN AHEAD OF THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS AND SS ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. IT SHOWS A TACTICAL SHIFT WITH MORE OF A WILLINGNESS TO TARGET SPECIFIC CANDIDATES AND PARTIES INCLUDING MR. BIDEN. IN AN ECHO OF RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN BEFORE THE 2016 ELECTION, CHINA
APPEARS TO BE TRYING TO HARNESS POLITICAL DIVISIONS. SOME OF THESE CHINESE ACCOUNTS IMPERSONATE FERVENT TRUMP FANS INCLUDING ONE ON TWITTER THAT PURPORTS TO BE A, QUOTE, FATHER, HUSBAND, AND SON WHO IS, QUOTE, MAGA ALL THE WAY. THE ACCOUNTS MOCKED MR. BIDEN’S AGE AND SHARED FAKE IMAGES OF HIM
IN A PRISON JUMPSUIT, OR CLAIMED THAT MR. BIDEN WAS A SATANEST PEDOPHILE WHILE PROMOTING MR. TRUMP’S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN SLOGAN. HERE’S ONE OF THESE CHINA LINKED ACCOUNTS DESCRIBED BY THESE RESEARCHERS PROMOTING THAT TRUMP VIDEO OVER THE WEEKEND THAT SHOWED AN IMAGE OF PRESIDENT BIDEN TIED UP, HAND
AND FOOT, AS IF HE WERE BEING KIDNAPPED OR HELD HOSTAGE. HERE’S ANOTHER ONE OF THE CHINA LINKED ACCOUNTS SHOWING A DIFFERENT VIDEO, ONE FOR EASTER, IT’S AN ANIMATED VIDEO THAT SHOWS PRESIDENT BIDEN BEING ASSAULTED AND BEATEN UP BY A GIANT EASTER BUNNY. AND I’M NOT GOING TO SHOW
YOU THE VIDEO BECAUSE IT’S VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND YEAH, IT’S FOR EASTER. ISN’T THAT GREAT? BUT IT SHOWS THE PRESIDENT FALLING DOWN AND LOOKING HURT AND BEING PUMMELED. “THE NEW YORK TIMES” REPORTING THAT RESEARCHERS HAVE LINKED THIS NEW ACTIVITY TO A QUOTE, LONG
RUNNING NETWORK OF ACCOUNTS CONNECTED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THE ACCOUNTS ARE NOT ALWAYS GREAT AT DISGUISING THE FACT THEY’RE ACTUALLY CHINESE LIKE IN THIS INSTANCE WHERE THEY’RE TRYING TO LOOK LIKE AN AMERICAN ACCOUNT. YOU SEE THE NAME AT THE TOP WITH THE LITTLE EAGLE AND THE AMERICAN FLAGS.
IT SAYS LIAM. REPUBLICAN PARTY, AMERICA FIRST. AMERICAN FLAGS AND AMERICAN EAGLE. AND THIS POST IS AN ATTEMPT BY THIS ACCOUNT TO REPLY TO A TRUMP VIDEO WITH BASICALLY A BIG ATA BOY. 75 MILLION TRUMP FANS CAN’T BE WRONG. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT THEY FORGOT THEY WEREN’T
SUPPOSED TO BE TYPING IN CHINESE. THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE TYPING IN MANDARIN. IT’S ONLY GOOGLE TRANSLATE THAT TELLS YOU WHAT IT SAYS. IF YOU’RE TRYING TO BE LIAM, MAYBE TOGGLE BACK TO ENGLISH BEFORE YOU POST YOUR COMPLIMENTS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY
WHICH HAS DONE SOME OF THE RESEARCH QUOTED IN “THE NEW YORK TIMES” TODAY, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN’S OPERATIONS ON FACEBOOK, ALSO NOTES THAT THE INFLUENCE OPERATION APPEARS TO BE ACTIVE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DURING BUSINESS HOURS IN CHINA, DURING BUSINESS HOURS BEIJING TIME. ALL THEIR POSTS APPEAR HERE IN FOR
US WHAT ARE THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, BUT THOSE HOURS CORRESPOND TO THE WORK STARTING AT 8:50 A.M. BEIJING TIME, STOPPING AT 6:00 P.M. BEIJING TIME WITH AN HOUR OFF FOR LUNCH FROM NOON TO 1:00 LOCAL TIME DURING WHICH THEY DON’T POST AT ALL. SO THESE ARE ACCOUNTS AND USERS
THAT ARE OCCASIONALLY LAPSING INTO CHINESE OR FORGETTING TO TURN OFF THE SETTINGS THAT SHOW THEIR WEB BROWSERS ARE SET TO OPERATE IN MANDARIN. THEY’RE OPERATING ON CHINESE BUSINESS HOURS INCLUDING A NICE SOLID HOUR FOR CHINESE LUNCH. THEY APPEAR PRETTY OBVIOUSLY LINKED TO CHINESE GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE OPERATIONS. BUT WHAT
THEY’RE DOING NOW, THIS YEAR, IS TRYING TO MESS WITH OUR ELECTION. TO TRY TO HELP TRUMP GET BACK IN THERE. AND TO HURT JOE BIDEN’S CHANCES. JUST LIKE RUSSIA HAS BEEN DOING SINCE 2016. AND THE TRUMP YEARS HAVE SHOWN US THUS FAR THAT WE HAVE PROVEN TO BE,
FORGIVE ME, BUT WE HAVE PROVEN NOT JUST TO BE INEPT BUT SPINELESS WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING UP WITH THIS FROM ONE AUTHORITARIAN COUNTRY THAT WANTS THE WORST FOR US. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW THAT IT’S TWO OF THEM AT ONCE? BOTH PULLING FOR TRUMP. JOINING
US NOW IS TIFFANY SHUE, A TECHNOLOGY REPORTER AT “THE NEW YORK TIMES” WHO REPORTED ABOUT THIS AND OTHER STORIES ON THE SAME TOPIC. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >> SO, WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE AS YOU UNDERSTAND IT THAT
THIS APPEARS TO BE LINKED TO NOT JUST OPERATORS IN CHINA BUT TO THE CHINESE STATE? >> WELL, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SLIP-UPS IN THESE ACCOUNTS. SEVERAL OF THESE ACCOUNTS ARE MANY YEARS OLD. AND FOR A WHILE, THEY POST EXCLUSIVELY IN MANDARIN. THE NARRATIVE IS VERY
PRO-BEIJING. IT LAPSES AT SOME POINT INTO AMERICA IS BAD. ALL OF THIS IS IN MANDARIN. AND THEN THEY GO QUIET FOR A FEW MONTHS. AND THEN SUDDENLY REEMERGE POSTING AS LIAM OR BEN, MAGA ALL THE WAY. I’M A HUSBAND, FATHER, I’M 43 YEARS OLD, LIVING IN LOS ANGELES.
THESE VERY CONVINCING ACCOUNTS THAT ARE MASQUERADING AS AMERICANS, POSTING ENTIRELY IN ENGLISH. SO THEY ADOPT THESE PERSONALITIES THAT UNLESS YOU’RE A RESEARCHER OR A JOURNALIST, YOUR ENTIRE JOB IS TO LOOK FOR CLUES THAT YOU’RE NOT AN AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT. FOR THE AVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA USERS YOU’RE LIKE, YEAH, THIS
IS A PERSON WHO SUPPORTS PRESIDENT TRUMP JUST LIKE ME. I’M GOING TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. >> AND I HAVE BEEN FOCUSING IN, IN TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS, ON SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF IT THAT ARE HAM-HANDED OR APPEAR TO BE MISTAKES, LETTING IT SLIP,
ACCIDENTALLY SHOWING YOUR BROWSER IS SET TO MANDARIN OR SOMETIMES ACCIDENTALLY POSTING IN MANDARIN. THAT INTERESTING DETAIL THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE FOUNDATION FOR DEFENDING DEMOCRACIES ABOUT THEM POSTING MOSTLY ON BEIJING TIME EXCEPT NOT DURING THEIR LUNCH HOUR. I HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE THINGS THAT SHOW IT TO
BE CHINESE OPERATIONS, BUT AS YOU’RE SAYING, SOME OF THESE PERSONALITIES AND THE IDIOM THEY’RE USING CAN BE SORT OF CONVINCING. ARE THEY GETTING BETTER AT THIS? ARE THESE THINGS IMPROVING OVER TIME IN TERMS OF THEIR ABILITY TO MASQUERADE AS AMERICAN? >> OH, LEAPS AND BOUNDS BEYOND WHAT THE
CHINESE USED TO BE CAPABLE OF. I MEAN, IF THE RUSSIANS ARE SEEN AS BEING HAM-HANDED, THEY’RE LIKE THE TEENAGER WHO IS LIKE, OH, MOM, YEAH, I WAS TOTALLY STUDYING AT THE LIBRARY AND NOT DRINKING AT A PARTY WITH MY FRIENDS. THEN THE CHINESE FOR A LONG TIME WERE
THE TODDLER WHO WAS COVERED IN PAINT SAYING NO, MOMMY, I DIDN’T JUST PAINT THE ENTIRE WALL LIKE YOU TOLD ME NOT TO. VERY ENTHUSIASTIC BUT VERY SEE THROUGH. WHAT THEY’RE DOING NOW IS A STEP CHANGE IN THEIR CAPABILITIES. THE CHINESE USED TO SPREAD THIS NARRATIVE THAT WAS VERY
PRO-BEIJING, VERY MUCH THIS IS THE BEIJING PARTY LINE. CHINA IS GREAT. YOU KNOW, BACK ALL OF OUR POLICIES AND OUR PHILOSOPHIES. A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THEY SHIFTED TO BEIJING IS GOOD BUT AMERICA IS ALSO BAD. SO YOU SEE THEM START GETTING INVOLVED IN THE AMERICAN CULTURE WARS, TRYING
TO WEIGH IN ON GAY RIGHTS, ON CRIME IN THE U.S. BUT WHAT THEY’RE DOING NOW IS FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC CANDIDATES, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING MOST RESEARCHERS HAVE SEEN THEM DO. THEY’RE ADOPTING THESE PERSONALITIES THAT SEEM LIKE REAL AMERICANS AND THEY’RE TRYING TO, AND OFTEN SUCCESSFULLY, GENERATE REAL ENGAGEMENT
FROM REAL PEOPLE. I MEAN, ONE OF THESE ACCOUNTS WAS RETWEETED BY ALEX JONES. HE HAS 2.2 MILLION FOLLOWERS. SO THE IDEA THAT PEOPLE INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE HUGE AUDIENCES ARE INTERPRETING THESE ACCOUNTS AS REAL VOICES IS PRETTY CONCERNING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOOKED AT CHINA AS KIND OF
AN INEPT INFLUENCE OPERATOR FOR A LONG TIME. >> IT’S CONCERNING, NOT ONLY THAT IT’S WORKING BUT IT’S CONCERNING TO HAVE WHAT APPEARS TO BE A STATE DIRECTED EFFORT LIKE THIS FOCUSED IN THIS WAY AT THIS TIME AHEAD OF THE ELECTION. IT REALLY DOES FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN’T LEARNED
MUCH. BUT I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT FROM YOU TODAY AND THIS
