Google found 10,000 new cases of a Chinese influence campaign called Dragonbridge in the first part of this year. This could complicate things for TikTok as it fights against a possible ban in the U.S. Dragonbridge is the biggest online influence operation, with Google spotting 50,000 instances in 2022 and 65,000 in 2023 on platforms like YouTube and Blogger.
The Dragonbridge group creates profiles and advertisements to share a mix of low-quality news content interspersed with messages supporting pro-PRC (People’s Republic of China) views. This year, the group has targeted events like the Taiwan elections and the Israel-Hamas conflict, often criticizing the U.S. and attempting to highlight American political divisions, particularly as the U.S. election approaches.
Primarily targeting Chinese speakers, Dragonbridge has also expanded into English-language content and employs AI-generated presenters to enhance its updates. Google’s improving detection methods are helping to mitigate the influence of such operations, but the persistence of these activities underscores the ongoing efforts of Chinese groups to sway opinions and promote pro-China narratives internationally.
This situation presents concerns for TikTok, a Chinese-owned platform, even though there is no direct evidence linking it to Dragonbridge. The significant activity of Chinese influence operations raises the possibility that similar tactics could be employed on TikTok, potentially influencing its vast Western user base.
With many former CCP employees working for ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, and the CCP’s involvement in content decisions for the Chinese version of the app, the platform’s susceptibility to such influence operations is a legitimate concern.
As TikTok prepares for its legal battle against the U.S. ban, these findings highlight potential red flags for American officials. The upcoming legal proceedings may reveal more about the security concerns and the extent of influence operations involving TikTok, with detailed security briefings still pending public release.