China-based networks sowing disinfo in West

A China-based online network tried to recruit protesters in Europe and set up a media firm in Britain as part of a disinformation campaign, Facebook owner Meta said.

The network's social media accounts -- which ranged from Facebook to YouTube, Telegram and Twitter -- pushed content focusing on incendiary political issues in Europe and the United States, according to Meta.

Meta said it had removed more than 100 Facebook pages, profiles and Instagram accounts linked to the network, accusing them of violating its policies against coordinated inauthentic behaviour.

Another 50 accounts linked to another China-based network had also been taken down. "These latest networks experimented with a range of tactics we haven't seen in China-based operations before," Meta said in its quarterly Adversarial Threat Report, published on Wednesday.

"The latest behaviours included creating a front media company in the West, hiring freelance writers around the world, offering to recruit protesters..."

While Meta had taken down some of the accounts, much of the networks' content remains online.