Google disclosed the removal of 1,320 YouTube channels and 1,177 Blogger blogs in an effort to combat coordinated influence activities associated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
In a quarterly bulletin released by Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG) last week, researcher Billy Leonard mentioned, “The network carried out upload activities in Chinese and English languages centering around China and U.S. foreign relations.”
The technology giant also disabled Ads, AdSense, and Blogger profiles that were affiliated with two coordinated influence campaigns originating from Indonesia and supporting the ruling political party of the country.
One significant operation dismantled by Google comprised 378 YouTube channels linked to a Russian consulting firm which promoted positive narratives about Russia while criticizing Ukraine and Western countries.
In addition, Google terminated an AdSense account and blocked 10 domains from appearing in Google News and the Discover feed for mobile devices. These domains published content in English and Norwegian about food, sports, and lifestyle categories.
Google suggested that the operation conducted by individuals from the Philippines and India was primarily driven by financial motives.
Here are some notable violators that were identified and removed –
- A set of 59 YouTube channels with ties to Pakistan that shared critical Urdu content about Pakistani political personalities
- A network of 11 YouTube channels connected to France that disseminated French content criticizing political figures in France
- 11 YouTube channels linked to entities in Russia which propagated content supporting Russia while criticizing Ukraine
- Two YouTube channels associated with Myanmar that promoted English/Burmese content supporting the military government of Myanmar and criticizing pro-independence groups
These actions taken by Google coincided with OpenAI and Meta’s revelation of their disruptance of an influence operation orchestrated by a Tel Aviv-based political marketing company called Stoic. The operation aimed to spread pro-Israel messages in the U.S. and Canada amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas which began in October.
Meta recently mentioned, “The network engaged in interactions on Facebook Pages of both global and local media outlets, as well as political and public figures, including U.S. legislators,” Meta noted. “The comments posted included links to the operation’s websites and were met with opposition from genuine users calling them propaganda.”
The comments primarily focused on English discussions regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas, advocating for hostages’ release, endorsing Israel’s military activities, criticizing campus anti-Semitism, and raising concerns about the threats posed by “radical Islam” to liberal values in Canada.
Meta informed CyberScoop that it attributed the activities to STOIC based on a blend of technical and behavioral indicators, without providing further details.
According to a recent report shared by The New York Times, the clandestine campaign for influencing opinions was orchestrated by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. The campaign was allocated around $2 million by the government agency, as confirmed by four Israeli officials.
This is not the first instance of Israeli firms being discovered to engage in disinformation campaigns. In early 2023, the Forbidden Stories consortium brought to light the existence of a secretive entity named “Team Jorge” that offers services for “influence and manipulation” on the market to the highest bidder.
Furthermore, these disclosures are accompanied by a warning from Microsoft regarding Russia’s increasing disinformation campaigns against France and the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Some of these campaigns utilized AI-generated audio clips to promote pro-Kremlin narratives.
It’s important to note that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has prohibited athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in the opening ceremony of the multi-sport event due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, though they are permitted to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes.”
The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee from participation back in October, effective immediately. Russia’s appeal against the suspension was rejected in February.
Redmond remarked, “When unable to secure victories in the Games, these entities aim to undermine, defame, and tarnish the global competition in the minds of participants, spectators, and the global community.”
According to separate assessments by Google’s Mandiant and Recorded Future, the upcoming sports event has been labeled as a “target-rich environment” vulnerable to a wide array of cyber threats, including ransomware, hacktivist attacks, and espionage missions carried out by nation-state players.
In their analysis, Mandiant researchers Michelle Cantos and Jamie Collier highlighted that the Paris Olympics is at a heightened risk of cyber threats such as espionage, disruptive operations, financially-motivated activities, hacktivism, and information campaigns.
Microsoft has identified a threat actor known as Storm-1679 orchestrating a smear campaign against the IOC, aiming to spread fear among the public and dissuade spectators from attending the event by circulating doctored videos suggesting terrorism threats.
Another threat actor linked to Russia, identified as Doppelganger (or Storm-1099), has intensified its propaganda efforts against the Olympics by utilizing a network of 15 French-language news websites to disseminate accusations of corruption within the IOC and anticipated violence at the Games.
The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) warned that as the Games approach, the Kremlin’s propaganda machinery will likely exploit its network of operatives to undermine the Olympics through a combination of generative AI-powered propaganda distributed on social media platforms targeting France, the IOC, and the Olympic Games.
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