Monday, August 05, 2024

China’s high stakes and deepfakes in the Philippines

Bad news! A bully at work!

"A covert social media campaign operated by the Chinese government appears to be spreading a deepfake video seeking to undermine support for Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, according to new research conducted by ASPI. China is conducting the campaign amid a high-stakes standoff with the Philippines over claims in the South China Sea.

Hours before Marcos gave a state-of-the-nation Address on 22 July 2024, a video of him appearing to take illicit drugs was circulated by supporters of the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte. The video was a deepfake and soon debunked by Philippine authorities, but it was shared quickly across social media and fuelled anti-Marcos sentiment among hardline Duterte supporters.

ASPI has identified a network of coordinated inauthentic accounts across X and YouTube amplifying the video. We [ASPI] assess the accounts as very likely linked to the Chinese government. ..."

China’s high stakes and deepfakes in the Philippines

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