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China-Based Hackers Impersonated US Voters With AI-generated Propaganda During 2022 Elections: Microsoft

And President Biden sought to downplay friction with China while in Vietnam

Know thy enemy!

China-based hackers impersonated American voters online and used artificial intelligence (AI) to create and promote divisive online content during the 2022 midterm elections, according to a report by Microsoft.

The effort was part of a series of covert influence operations by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intended to mimic U.S. voters from across the political spectrum and create controversy along racial, economic, and ideological lines, according to the Sept. 7 report.

“Ahead of the 2022 U.S. midterms, Microsoft and industry partners observed CCP-affiliated social media accounts impersonating U.S. voters—new territory for CCP-affiliated [influence operations],” the report reads.

The Report

Beginning in May 2023, Storm-0558, a China-based threat actor, accessed Microsoft customer email accounts of approximately 25 organizations including U.S. and European government entities. Microsoft assesses this activity was likely conducted for espionage purposes and has successfully blocked this campaign.