3 ms·

~60 accounts. TBH, another weak sauce, script kiddie tier effort comparable to other exposed PRC social media networks from the past couple years. Getting prett

~60 accounts. TBH, another weak sauce, script kiddie tier effort comparable to other exposed PRC social media networks from the past couple years. Getting pretty incredulous that western researchers have only managed to uncover these these low-effort campaigns far below the competency of a state actor with PRC resources. Either PRC is still that incompetent at manipulating western platforms, or competent enough that larger networks have not been identified. There's also tinfoil conclusion that these are cheap western intelligence falseflag ops designed to normalize idea that PRC has pervasive coordinated activity to headline readers, i.e. people who thinks 50c operates abroad, even on sites like HN itself when it's against 50c MO to waste effort on anything but platitudes. It's hard to say which is worse, but it doesn't seem likely PRC influence ops on western platforms is restricted to such small scale efforts, if not now, then certainly not in the future.

fastglass 5y ago
We can go deeper.. the PRC could use low-effort attacks just as fodder which mimics any actual false flag performed by any country. And, this isn't conspiracy, either, yet maybe too speculative for your average HN user (who doesn't seem to think too highly of your post, either), but if its already known that you have a problem with unscrupulous conspiracy theorists then that's a vector for state actors to exploit/inflame/exacerbate it across multiple channels/theaters. I'm not sure if it extends across the entire western countries, but here in America we already have an admitted problem with so-called conspiracy theorists. I say this much because I highly agree: 60 accounts says this isn't serious. And, if its not "serious" then this is more psychological than cyber. Also, you have to consider the open use of war games which would simulate a de facto false flag, without being a de jure false flag. Welcome to the lowest rung of hell, I'd say! The realm of perfidy.

fastglass 5y ago

We can go deeper.. the PRC could use low-effort attacks just as fodder which mimics any actual false flag performed by any country. And, this isn't conspiracy, either, yet maybe too speculative for your average HN user (who doesn't seem to think too highly of your post, either), but if its already known that you have a problem with unscrupulous conspiracy theorists then that's a vector for state actors to exploit/inflame/exacerbate it across multiple channels/theaters. I'm not sure if it extends across the entire western countries, but here in America we already have an admitted problem with so-called conspiracy theorists. I say this much because I highly agree: 60 accounts says this isn't serious. And, if its not "serious" then this is more psychological than cyber. Also, you have to consider the open use of war games which would simulate a de facto false flag, without being a de jure false flag. Welcome to the lowest rung of hell, I'd say! The realm of perfidy.