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Signal
Submitted
Apr 28, 2026, 15:11 UTC
Twitter removed over 170,000 Chinese-linked accounts spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on June 12, 2020.
On June 12, 2020, Twitter disclosed it had removed more than 170,000 accounts disseminating false and misleading information in support of the Chinese government narrative. A core of approximately 23,750 accounts linked to the Chinese state and an additional 150,000 amplifying accounts were taken down. The campaigns included deceptive messaging relating to the coronavirus pandemic, political developments in Hong Kong amid protests against Beijing-backed authorities, and Taiwan’s status, which China claims as part of its territory. Although Twitter is banned for most Chinese citizens, the Chinese Communist Party utilized it as a tool for international propaganda and disinformation, per analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and their cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also took down thousands of accounts associated with Turkish government manipulative messaging and a Russian group spreading propaganda. This large-scale removal reflects ongoing efforts by social media platforms to counter state-backed influence operations.
Confidence: High
The article clearly describes a hostile influence operation involving Chinese state-backed propaganda accounts spreading misinformation internationally via Twitter, consistent with hybrid warfare information operations targeting democratic discourse in cyberspace.
Source URL
https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/twitter-china-propaganda-101.html
Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.
{
"id": "2d019c3a-501d-44eb-9956-28c81de0680d",
"url": "https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/twitter-china-propaganda-101.html",
"source": "extension",
"status": "approved",
"category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
"subcategory": "Information Operations",
"incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
"country": "Hong Kong",
"source_reliability": "A",
"info_credibility": "3",
"tags": [
"China",
"Twitter",
"Propaganda",
"Disinformation",
"Cyber Influence Operations"
],
"nodes": [
"Node 2: 5th Column"
],
"countries": [
"Hong Kong"
],
"where_text": "Cyberspace",
"headline": "Twitter removes over 170,000 Chinese accounts spreading fake news favoring Chinese government",
"description": "On June 12, 2020, Twitter announced the removal of more than 170,000 accounts linked to spreading misinformation and propaganda aligned with the Chinese government, particularly about the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong protests, and Taiwan. This network included a core group of about 23,750 highly active accounts connected to the Chinese state and roughly 150,000 additional accounts amplifying their content. The Australian think tank ASPI analyzed these accounts and found ties to a Chinese state-supported network previously dismantled by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Manipulative content on Taiwan's status and the pandemic was also spread despite Twitter being banned for ordinary Chinese citizens, with the Communist Party using the platform for international propaganda, according to ASPI cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also removed 7,340 accounts linked to Turkish government manipulative messaging and 1,152 accounts connected to a Russian group spreading propaganda materials.",
"summary_short": "Twitter removed over 170,000 Chinese-linked accounts spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on June 12, 2020.",
"summary_extended": "On June 12, 2020, Twitter disclosed it had removed more than 170,000 accounts disseminating false and misleading information in support of the Chinese government narrative. A core of approximately 23,750 accounts linked to the Chinese state and an additional 150,000 amplifying accounts were taken down. The campaigns included deceptive messaging relating to the coronavirus pandemic, political developments in Hong Kong amid protests against Beijing-backed authorities, and Taiwan’s status, which China claims as part of its territory. Although Twitter is banned for most Chinese citizens, the Chinese Communist Party utilized it as a tool for international propaganda and disinformation, per analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and their cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also took down thousands of accounts associated with Turkish government manipulative messaging and a Russian group spreading propaganda. This large-scale removal reflects ongoing efforts by social media platforms to counter state-backed influence operations.",
"actor_primary": "Chinese Communist Party",
"target_primary": null,
"location_text": "Hong Kong",
"location_region": null,
"location_coordinates_lat": 22.3193,
"location_coordinates_lon": 114.1694,
"location_precision": "Approximate",
"is_aggressor_signal": true,
"signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
"is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
"classification_complete": true,
"hybrid_signal_complete": true,
"classification_confidence": "High",
"classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes a hostile influence operation involving Chinese state-backed propaganda accounts spreading misinformation internationally via Twitter, consistent with hybrid warfare information operations targeting democratic discourse in cyberspace.",
"event_time_utc": "2020-06-12T04:38:00.000Z",
"end_time_utc": null,
"event_time_confidence": "exact",
"created_at": "2026-04-28T15:11:00.086Z",
"updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:36:03.522Z",
"reliability_band": "strong",
"location_precision_band": "approximate",
"time_precision_band": "exact",
"severity_band": "moderate",
"attribution_confidence_band": "high",
"attribution_basis": "single_source"
}Source reliability
A
Info credibility
3
Event time
Jun 12, 2020, 04:38 UTC
Event time confidence
exact
Location
Hong Kong
Primary actor
Chinese Communist Party
Country
Hong Kong
Countries
Hong Kong
Tags
China, Twitter, Propaganda, Disinformation, Cyber Influence Operations
Nodes
Node 2: 5th Column
Signal
Submitted
Apr 28, 2026, 15:11 UTC
Twitter removed over 170,000 Chinese-linked accounts spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on June 12, 2020.
On June 12, 2020, Twitter disclosed it had removed more than 170,000 accounts disseminating false and misleading information in support of the Chinese government narrative. A core of approximately 23,750 accounts linked to the Chinese state and an additional 150,000 amplifying accounts were taken down. The campaigns included deceptive messaging relating to the coronavirus pandemic, political developments in Hong Kong amid protests against Beijing-backed authorities, and Taiwan’s status, which China claims as part of its territory. Although Twitter is banned for most Chinese citizens, the Chinese Communist Party utilized it as a tool for international propaganda and disinformation, per analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and their cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also took down thousands of accounts associated with Turkish government manipulative messaging and a Russian group spreading propaganda. This large-scale removal reflects ongoing efforts by social media platforms to counter state-backed influence operations.
Confidence: High
The article clearly describes a hostile influence operation involving Chinese state-backed propaganda accounts spreading misinformation internationally via Twitter, consistent with hybrid warfare information operations targeting democratic discourse in cyberspace.
Source URL
https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/twitter-china-propaganda-101.html
Published as a hybrid-warfare signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.
{
"id": "2d019c3a-501d-44eb-9956-28c81de0680d",
"url": "https://tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/twitter-china-propaganda-101.html",
"source": "extension",
"status": "approved",
"category": "Cyber & Information Warfare",
"subcategory": "Information Operations",
"incident_type": "Propaganda & disinformation campaigns",
"country": "Hong Kong",
"source_reliability": "A",
"info_credibility": "3",
"tags": [
"China",
"Twitter",
"Propaganda",
"Disinformation",
"Cyber Influence Operations"
],
"nodes": [
"Node 2: 5th Column"
],
"countries": [
"Hong Kong"
],
"where_text": "Cyberspace",
"headline": "Twitter removes over 170,000 Chinese accounts spreading fake news favoring Chinese government",
"description": "On June 12, 2020, Twitter announced the removal of more than 170,000 accounts linked to spreading misinformation and propaganda aligned with the Chinese government, particularly about the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong protests, and Taiwan. This network included a core group of about 23,750 highly active accounts connected to the Chinese state and roughly 150,000 additional accounts amplifying their content. The Australian think tank ASPI analyzed these accounts and found ties to a Chinese state-supported network previously dismantled by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Manipulative content on Taiwan's status and the pandemic was also spread despite Twitter being banned for ordinary Chinese citizens, with the Communist Party using the platform for international propaganda, according to ASPI cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also removed 7,340 accounts linked to Turkish government manipulative messaging and 1,152 accounts connected to a Russian group spreading propaganda materials.",
"summary_short": "Twitter removed over 170,000 Chinese-linked accounts spreading disinformation about coronavirus, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on June 12, 2020.",
"summary_extended": "On June 12, 2020, Twitter disclosed it had removed more than 170,000 accounts disseminating false and misleading information in support of the Chinese government narrative. A core of approximately 23,750 accounts linked to the Chinese state and an additional 150,000 amplifying accounts were taken down. The campaigns included deceptive messaging relating to the coronavirus pandemic, political developments in Hong Kong amid protests against Beijing-backed authorities, and Taiwan’s status, which China claims as part of its territory. Although Twitter is banned for most Chinese citizens, the Chinese Communist Party utilized it as a tool for international propaganda and disinformation, per analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and their cyber expert Fergus Hanson. Twitter also took down thousands of accounts associated with Turkish government manipulative messaging and a Russian group spreading propaganda. This large-scale removal reflects ongoing efforts by social media platforms to counter state-backed influence operations.",
"actor_primary": "Chinese Communist Party",
"target_primary": null,
"location_text": "Hong Kong",
"location_region": null,
"location_coordinates_lat": 22.3193,
"location_coordinates_lon": 114.1694,
"location_precision": "Approximate",
"is_aggressor_signal": true,
"signal_type": "HYBRID_SIGNAL",
"is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
"classification_complete": true,
"hybrid_signal_complete": true,
"classification_confidence": "High",
"classification_rationale": "The article clearly describes a hostile influence operation involving Chinese state-backed propaganda accounts spreading misinformation internationally via Twitter, consistent with hybrid warfare information operations targeting democratic discourse in cyberspace.",
"event_time_utc": "2020-06-12T04:38:00.000Z",
"end_time_utc": null,
"event_time_confidence": "exact",
"created_at": "2026-04-28T15:11:00.086Z",
"updated_at": "2026-11-04T08:36:03.522Z",
"reliability_band": "strong",
"location_precision_band": "approximate",
"time_precision_band": "exact",
"severity_band": "moderate",
"attribution_confidence_band": "high",
"attribution_basis": "single_source"
}Source reliability
A
Info credibility
3
Event time
Jun 12, 2020, 04:38 UTC
Event time confidence
exact
Location
Hong Kong
Primary actor
Chinese Communist Party
Country
Hong Kong
Countries
Hong Kong
Tags
China, Twitter, Propaganda, Disinformation, Cyber Influence Operations
Nodes
Node 2: 5th Column