We need to chart a path through inter-imperialist disinformation war over Twitter. The battle for #HongKong provides some powerful examples of what we're up against. It's not only China or Russia who are engaging in it. This article tells the story. 1/
medium.com/@disinforesear…
medium.com/@disinforesear…
Many social media platforms removed Chinese state sponsored accounts for engaging in disinformation around Hong Kong. Many of these were low-level amplification bots tweeting things like 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙆𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 or spamming the CN flag. 2/ 
In over-adjustment to the history or US meddling many people refuse to acknowledge any legitimacy to the #HongKongProtests or to claims of disinformation by the Chinese state. They go as far as claiming that the use of barricades or non-violent direct action = US interference. 3/
State-controlled media is dangerous whoever it comes from (especially if they platform fascists like Dugin). Though China is doing this, so is the US... just differently. 4/
Through bot-detection algorithms I found that around 23% of the most active Twitter accounts using hashtags against the HK protests showed bot-like characteristics. Neutral hashtags at 34% with the pro-HK at about 12% bot-like behavior. 5/ medium.com/malicious-bots…
The US also has a state-controlled propaganda organization called US Agency for Global Media. Founded from a collab with the CIA in WWII to make fake radio stations. Relevant to HK is the USAGM run @/RadioFreeAsia who has been posting steadily about HK for the last 5 years. 6/
On the board of USAGM with strong influence in their direction is controversial Secretary of State under Trump and former CIA head Mike Pompeo. 7/
Though the reach of RFA is dramatically less than state-controlled outlets like @/PDChina , it is important to be clear that the US is running state backed propaganda and Twitter is allowing it. 8/
Twitter recently claimed they are banning state-controlled advertisements and yet failed to remove accounts run by the Israeli government targeting protest organizations during an election period. We need to apply these standards in all directions. 9/
Modern geopolitics is more complex than ever and important parts of it play out over social media. It's essential that we figure out how to compare and contrast the different strategies of governments so that we can get more accurate information together. 10/
hashtags analyzed for bot activity:
pro: #Hkprotests, #HongKongProtests, #antiEALB, #AntiELABhk, #chinazism, #AntiExtraditionBill, #StandWithHongKong, #FreedomHK, #Eye4HK, #EyeforHK, #反送中條例, #五大訴求缺一不可 , #捍衛民主自由人權, #香港デモ 11/
pro: #Hkprotests, #HongKongProtests, #antiEALB, #AntiELABhk, #chinazism, #AntiExtraditionBill, #StandWithHongKong, #FreedomHK, #Eye4HK, #EyeforHK, #反送中條例, #五大訴求缺一不可 , #捍衛民主自由人權, #香港デモ 11/
