According to a research by CNN The Chinese government has built the world’s largest known online disinformation operation to harass U.S. citizens, politicians and businesses. These attacks appear to be part of a well-organized and increasingly brazen intimidation campaign targeting people in the United States.

The U.S. State Department describes these tactics as part of a broader, multibillion-dollar effort to influence the global information environment and silence critics of Beijing, a development that has intensified under President Xi Jinping.

US citizens insulted as traitors and dogs

Victims of this campaign are facing a deluge of tens of thousands of social media posts calling them traitors and dogs and containing racist and homophobic slurs, according to CNN. Many victims don’t know where to turn, and although tech and social media companies have shut down thousands of accounts targeting these victims, new accounts are emerging every day.

The networks, known as “Spamouflage” or “Dragonbridge,” spread their messages through hundreds of thousands of accounts across all major social media platforms. In addition to harassing Americans who criticize the Chinese Communist Party, they also seek to discredit U.S. politicians, attack American companies that run counter to Chinese interests, and hijack global online discussions.

Facebook and YouTube close hundreds of thousands of accounts

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Google, the owner of YouTube, have closed hundreds of thousands of related accounts in recent years. X, formerly known as Twitter, has blocked hundreds of thousands of “state-backed” or “state-linked” accounts linked to China.

But experts warn that the Chinese government will continue to use these tactics to push online discussions closer to the Chinese Communist Party’s preferred narrative. These efforts include attempts to undermine the United States and democratic values.