A coordinated foreign influence campaign linked to the Chinese government is using social media to undermine confidence in Australiaβs democratic system, according to researchers at a Canberra-based defence thinktank.
The researchers believe the network is operating from within China and is either spreading disinformation about Australian politics or amplifying concerns about political scandals. They reference rape allegations made by the former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and against the former attorney general Christian Porter, which he strongly denies.
The network is believed to have about 30 active accounts so far, which mostly appear to be women. In almost all cases, their posts use the #auspol and #QandA hashtags often used to discuss politics on Twitter. They post in English and Mandarin.
Albert Zhang, a disinformation analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the network is believed to be Spamouflage, a Chinese state-aligned foreign interference operation that has targeted many nations.
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