Google removes hundreds of news sites for pro-China influence operation
Google’s security team has taken action to remove hundreds of news websites and domains from Google News after discovering they were disseminating pro-China content. The material was traced back to a small number of companies reportedly collaborating as part of an influence operation.
In a blog post, Google’s Threat Intelligence Group explained that these firms had bulk-created and operated hundreds of domains “that pose as independent news websites from dozens of countries.” However, they found that the sites were publishing “thematically similar, inauthentic content that emphasizes narratives aligned to the political interests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).”
At @CYBERWARCON, @Google’s Threat Intelligence Group revealed they have been tracking GLASSBRIDGE, a group of four companies that operate networks of inauthentic news sites and newswire services publishing pro-PRC narratives. https://t.co/NQ5AGF1AdO
— Melanie Lombardi (@mel_lombardi) November 22, 2024
Since 2022, the network dubbed Glassbridge has been said to have violated Google’s policies that prohibit deceptive behavior and require editorial transparency.
Google has been attempting to improve search results amid reports of huge amounts of spam. ReadWrite reported earlier this year that it had also removed over 170 million fake reviews with its new algorithm.
Google says pro-China PR firms ‘behind fake news networks’The operation is believed to have been conducted by public relations (PR) firms that reportedly impersonated independent outlets. The four entities were identified as Shanghai Haixun Technology, Times Newswire, Durinbridge, and Shenzhen Bowen Media.
Glassbridge is an ecosystem of companies and newswire services that publish inauthentic news content. Credit: Google
The outlets then republished articles from Chinese state media, press releases, and other content likely commissioned by clients of other PR agencies. In some instances, they also published localized news content copied from legitimate news sources.
The company said: “The inauthentic news sites operated by GLASSBRIDGE illustrate how information operations actors have embraced methods beyond social media in an attempt to spread their narratives.”
Investigators uncovered fake news domain names targeting regions across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the U.S., with some content specifically aimed at the Chinese-speaking diaspora.
At times, the sites articles produced content focused on Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, Taiwan, the Falun Gong, the Xinjiang region, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The researchers said that the “views expressed in the conspiracy and smear content were similar to past pro-PRC IO campaigns,” adding that they had seen similar behavior from Russian and Iranian campaigns.
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