At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.

The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.

Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.

  • TokenBoomer@lemmy.world
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    11 days ago

    You just legitimized Russian, Iranian and Chinese disinformation campaigns against America. Good job, I guess.

    • SpaceCowboy
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      11 days ago

      It is what it is. War is a much more horrible thing than a disinformation campaign. So let’s just make war illegal, problem solved!

      Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

      Whether Russian, Iranian and Chinese disinformation campaigns against America are legitimate or not isn’t all that relevant. They’re happening and will continue to happen regardless of how legitimate anyone considers them to be.

      Eventually there may be treaties countries will agree to stop doing disinformation campaigns. But Russia, China, and Iran aren’t going to sign on to these agreements if they’re the only ones with the capability to conduct disinformation campaigns. Why would they give up their capabilities to disrupt their adversaries if their adversaries didn’t have the capability to disrupt their countries with disinformation? Gotta have Mutually Assured Disinformation before you can get everyone to agree to stop these activities.

      Just how global politics works.