GLASSBRIDGE: Google Blocks Thousands of Pro-China Fake News Sites

GLASSBRIDGE: Google Blocks Thousands of Pro-China Fake News Sites

Google reveals GLASSBRIDGE: A network of thousands of fake news sites pushing pro-China narratives globally. These sites, run by PR firms, spread disinformation and lack transparency.

Summary

  • Google has uncovered a network of over 1,000 fake news websites spreading pro-China narratives.
  • The sites are operated by four PR firms acting on behalf of an unknown client.
  • These firms create websites that mimic legitimate news outlets and publish a mix of repurposed and pro-China content.
  • Google has blocked the sites from appearing on its news platforms due to policy violations.
  • The operation highlights the use of PR firms to spread disinformation and obscure the source of the content.

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (TAG), in collaboration with its cybersecurity firm Mandiant, has discovered a large-scale network of fake news websites operated by four different public relations (PR) firms spreading propaganda aligned with the interests of the Chinese government.

Dubbed GLASSBRIDGE, this network of PR firms has been creating and distributing inauthentic content globally to shape public opinion on key geopolitical issues. Since 2022, Google has banned and deindexed over 1,000 websites linked to GLASSBRIDGE from appearing in Google News and Google Discover for violating policies against deceptive practices and lack of editorial transparency.

These sites pose as independent media outlets but push narratives that align with Beijing’s political agenda, including topics like Taiwan, the South China Sea, and COVID-19. It is worth noting that this news emerged just weeks after reports revealed North Korean hackers using fake news to distribute malware.

“These campaigns show how private PR firms are being used to conduct coordinated influence campaigns,” Google said in a blog post. “By using these firms, the actors behind the information operations gain deniability, obscuring their role in spreading inauthentic content.”

The campaigns rely on newswire services to syndicate their content, with two PR firms directly operating these services. The fake news network targets audiences in over 30 countries, including the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan, and Brazil, as well as Chinese-speaking diasporas worldwide.

The four firms within the GLASSBRIDGE network are:

1. Shanghai Haixun Technology

Shanghai Haixun Technology is the most prolific PR firm in the network, with more than 600 domains linked to its operations already removed by Google. These sites target both English- and Chinese-speaking audiences, as well as countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Haixun’s websites are often filled with low-quality, repetitive content that mixes irrelevant filler articles with pro-China stories. The firm has also been caught using freelance platforms such as Fiverr to hire social media accounts to amplify its messaging.

In July 2023, Haixun’s influence campaigns were spotted infiltrating legitimate news outlets through subdomains provided by its newswire services, Times Newswire and World Newswire, allowing it to piggyback on the credibility of established media brands.

2. Times Newswire and Shenzhen Haimai Yunxiang Media

Google researchers identified Times Newswire and its operator, Shenzhen Haimai Yunxiang Media, as key players in distributing pro-China propaganda. These entities were tied to the PAPERWALL campaign, a network of over 100 fake websites reported by Citizen Lab earlier this year.

These fraud sites, which spanned more than 30 countries, published a combination of copied local news, conspiracy theories, and smear campaigns targeting individuals critical of Beijing. Many of these articles were short, appearing briefly on the sites before being removed to avoid detection.

3. DURINBRIDGE

DURINBRIDGE, another PR and marketing firm in the network, operates over 200 fake news sites. While most of its content consists of press releases and generic news, a portion is dedicated to spreading pro-China narratives, including articles linked to DRAGONBRIDGE, a long-standing influence operation tracked by Google.

These sites have also been used to promote politically motivated smear campaigns, such as targeting Taiwanese presidential candidates in the lead-up to elections.

4. Shenzhen Bowen Media

Shenzhen Bowen Media controls a network of more than 100 imitation news sites designed to cater to specific countries and cities. Articles are published in local languages, including French, German, Japanese, and Thai, to appear more credible to regional audiences.

The content often blends legitimate-looking local news with pro-Beijing narratives sourced from its newswire service, World Newswire, which is also used by Haixun.

GLASSBRIDGE: Google Blocks Thousands of Pro-China Fake News Sites
Campaign flow and 2 fake news sites in German and Portuguese language targeting Brazilian readers (Screenshot: Google)

John Bambenek, President at Bambenek Consulting weighed in on the development highlighting the inherent issues of the internet’s structure, which allows for manipulation by various actors, including governments, to advance their agendas.

There is no real authentication on the Internet, therefore, the consequence is that there is no guarantee of authenticity and search engines and web tools are all subject to a math game, and it’s no surprise governments may try to get into the SEO game to push their narratives, John said. Since Google is banned in China, they have no incentive to turn a blind eye to this. 

The Bigger Picture

This operation is part of a growing trend where nation-states outsource influence campaigns to private PR firms, allowing deniability. By using fake news sites instead of traditional social media disinformation, these campaigns can target audiences more effectively, tailoring content to local languages and issues.

The operation also refreshes the memory of The EU DisinfoLab, a Brussels-based NGO specializing in disinformation research, which exposed a massive pro-Indian influence operation known as “Indian Chronicles.” This extensive campaign, active for over 15 years, aimed to discredit Pakistan and influence international institutions, including the United Nations and the European Parliament.

Google’s action to block these websites from its news platforms shows disinformation campaigns are a reality. The exposure of the GLASSBRIDGE network. For readers, the lesson is to critically evaluate the sources of news and verify information across multiple outlets.

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