X Suspends 13,000 Accounts In Suspected China-Russia-Iran Operations Targeting US Politics

Authored by Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times,

Social media platform X has suspended more than 13,000 accounts involved in three suspected foreign influence operations linked to China, Russia, and Iran that targeted American political discussions ahead of the November midterm elections.

In an Oct. 14 announcement, X said the networks used fake accounts to publish and amplify political content targeting U.S. candidates and public figures across the political spectrum.

The company identified the accounts through proactive monitoring and investigations by its Safety team.

X did not disclose how many accounts were associated with each country, identify the American candidates targeted, or publicly release evidence linking the networks to specific foreign government agencies.

The suspensions come less than three weeks before the Nov. 3 elections, when Americans will elect all 435 voting members of the House of Representatives, approximately one-third of the Senate, and numerous state and local officials.

Election Safeguards

X said its election-related enforcement builds on safety measures operating year-round, particularly its rules against coordinated inauthentic behavior, which prohibit organized efforts to manipulate discussions through deceptive accounts.

“Whether it is spam networks or entities engaged in influence operations, we are actively working to identify and stop coordinated inauthentic behavior that undermines the integrity of our platform,” the company said.

Under its Civic Integrity Policy, X also addresses misleading information about when, where, and how people can vote, along with deceptive efforts to discourage electoral participation.

The platform said users can report suspected civic integrity violations through a process that routes submissions to Community Notes, which allow contributors to add context to posts.

X may also apply labels to posts in serious cases.

The announcement comes as the Justice Department has stepped up election-integrity prosecutions.

On Oct. 12, the department announced charges involving 16 individuals in cases concerning illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related offenses. The allegations are not related to the suspected online influence operations disclosed by X.

In response to an Epoch Times’ inquiry about suspected foreign influence operations and election-integrity enforcement, a Justice Department spokesperson said on Oct. 15 that the department would not confirm or deny whether it was conducting an investigation.

“The department remains committed to keeping America’s elections in the hands of Americans and without foreign influence, and will use every available tool to deter, disrupt, and hold accountable those who violate federal law,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier Chinese Influence Operations

X previously disclosed in August that it had identified approximately 200,000 suspected Chinese bot accounts, including about 200 posting content that could manipulate American debates over AI data centers and energy policy.

Such operations have also involved accounts posing as Americans.

In September 2024, Microsoft reported that Chinese Communist Party-linked influence operators impersonated U.S. voters, asked Americans about divisive political issues, and engaged with users across the political spectrum.

Chinese researchers have separately explored how American political opinions could be influenced.

In a December 2024 paper, researchers at the Communication University of China described using artificial intelligence to create 101 simulated American voters and expose them to segments of a 2020 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

The virtual voters discussed the candidates’ statements, reconsidered their positions, and cast ballots over six rounds.

The researchers tracked how support for the candidates shifted as the simulated voters exchanged information and revised their preferences.

The research was a computer simulation, not a documented attempt to influence actual voters.

No public connection has been established between that research, the earlier influence operations, and X’s latest suspensions.