China-Linked Spamouflage Network Targets US Voters on X, Analysts Say
Accounts posing as American citizens are spreading divisive content and questioning election integrity ahead of midterm elections.
A long-running influence campaign known as Spamouflage, believed to be linked to China, is actively targeting U.S. voters on the social media platform X, according to a report by the cybersecurity firm Graphika. The campaign is posting divisive content on U.S. politics, social issues, and elections, analysts said Friday.
The activity mirrors tactics previously documented in 2024, when similar accounts questioned election integrity and the legitimacy of U.S. democracy. Intelligence and national security officials have repeatedly warned that China, along with Russia and Iran, engages in online influence operations aimed at U.S. voters during election cycles. Unlike operations that may favor specific candidates, China's efforts have largely focused on undermining confidence in U.S. elections and democratic institutions, observers noted.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, through spokesperson Liu Chang, has stated that China "has never and will never interfere in the U.S. elections."
Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub, who has tracked Spamouflage, expressed skepticism about the campaign's ability to influence genuine political discourse, stating, "Spamouflage is famously bad at mimicking real Americans. It's outside their wheelhouse."
However, Linvill suggested the network has found success in suppressing information and attacking members of the Chinese diaspora community. This effort is seen as part of a broader strategy by Beijing to silence dissenting views.
Graphika identified several accounts exhibiting Spamouflage activity. One account, which appears to have replaced a previously identified Spamouflage account, has posted divisive political content, including criticisms of immigration policy and attacks on Democratic Party leadership during the U.S. government shutdown in October 2025.
Four accounts with a history of Spamouflage activity were flagged for amplifying content in a style associated with the MAGA movement. Additionally, an account with over 200,000 followers, which previously presented itself as a Philippine culture blog, has shifted to posting pro-China content and divisive U.S.-focused material.
Graphika stated that it could not definitively determine if these accounts were hijacked or if their original operators had lost control or sold them.