24-3-31 Dark Nature of Online Trolls - Magee > .
21-12-14 XiXiP recruiting, training Wumaos - Focus > .
Societal Manipulation
The name is derived from the allegation that commentators are paid ¥0.50 for every post. They create favourable comments or articles on popular Chinese social media networks that are intended to derail discussions that are unhelpful to the Communist Party and that promote narratives that serve the government's interests, together with disparaging comments and misinformation about political opponents and critics of the Chinese government, both domestic and abroad.
In October 2004, the local CCP Propaganda Department of Changsha started hiring Internet commentators, in one of the earliest known uses of professional Internet commentators.
The Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China now holds regular training sessions, where participants are required to pass an exam after which they are issued a job certification. As of 2008, the total number of 50-cent operatives was estimated to be in the tens of thousands, and possibly as high as 280,000–300,000. Every large Chinese website is instructed by the Information Office to create a trained team of Internet commentators.
A 2016 Harvard University paper found that in contrast to common assumptions, the 50 Cent Army consists mostly of paid bureaucrats who respond to government directives and rarely defend their government from criticism or engage in direct arguments. Around 80% of the analysed posts involve pro-China cheerleading with inspirational slogans, and 13% involve general praise and suggestions on governmental policies. Despite the common allegation of the commentators getting paid for their posts, the paper suggested there was "no evidence" that they are paid anything for their posts [other than their being "paid bureaucrats, that is], instead being required to do so as a part of their official party duties.
According to Foreign Policy, it indicated that a supposed "massive secretive operation" to fill China's Internet with propaganda has resulted in some 488 million posts carried out by fake social media accounts, representing about 0.6% of the 80 billion posts generated on Chinese social media. To maximize their influence, such pro-government comments are made largely during times of intense online debate, and when online protests have a possibility of transforming into real life actions. The colloquial term wumao has also been used by some English speakers outside of China as an insult or racial epithet against people with perceived pro-CCP or pro-Chinese views, especially those who are of Chinese descent or are perceived to be Chinese.
A 2016 Harvard University paper found that in contrast to common assumptions, the 50 Cent Army consists mostly of paid bureaucrats who respond to government directives and rarely defend their government from criticism or engage in direct arguments. Around 80% of the analysed posts involve pro-China cheerleading with inspirational slogans, and 13% involve general praise and suggestions on governmental policies. Despite the common allegation of the commentators getting paid for their posts, the paper suggested there was "no evidence" that they are paid anything for their posts [other than their being "paid bureaucrats, that is], instead being required to do so as a part of their official party duties.
According to Foreign Policy, it indicated that a supposed "massive secretive operation" to fill China's Internet with propaganda has resulted in some 488 million posts carried out by fake social media accounts, representing about 0.6% of the 80 billion posts generated on Chinese social media. To maximize their influence, such pro-government comments are made largely during times of intense online debate, and when online protests have a possibility of transforming into real life actions. The colloquial term wumao has also been used by some English speakers outside of China as an insult or racial epithet against people with perceived pro-CCP or pro-Chinese views, especially those who are of Chinese descent or are perceived to be Chinese.
Wumaos - 50 Cent Party - 21st C ..
χ Xinsanity ..
Some profiles were created to post original content, while others only shared, liked and commented on those original posts, to help them reach a wider audience. This kind of activity is often referred to as "astroturfing" because it is designed to create the appearance of a grass-roots campaign.
The study, shared with the BBC, found that the network of fake profiles circulated garish cartoons depicting, among others, exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui, an outspoken critic of China. Other controversial figures featured in the cartoons included "whistleblower" scientist Li-Meng Yang, and Steve Bannon, former political strategist for tRUMP. Each of these individuals has themselves been accused of spreading disinformation, including false information about COVID-19.
五毛黨 - Wu Mao Dang - means 50 cent army, or 50 cent party, a term for Internet commentators who are hired by the authorities of the People's Republic of China to manipulate public opinion and disseminate disinformation to the benefit of the governing Chinese Communist Party, CCP. The name is derived from the allegation that such commentators are paid RMB 50 cents for every post. These commentators create comments or articles on popular Chinese social media networks that are intended to derail discussions which are critical of the CCP, promoting narratives that serve the government's interests and insulting or spreading misinformation about political opponents, both domestic and abroad.
Internet manipulation and propaganda | Propaganda in China | Propaganda techniques |
Public relations techniques | Internet trolling | Disinformation operations |
Some of the accounts - spread across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube - use fake AI-generated profile pictures, while others appear to have been hijacked after previously posting in other languages. There is no concrete evidence that the network is linked to the Chinese government, but according to the CIR, a non-profit group which works to counter disinformation, it resembles pro-China networks previously taken down by Twitter and Facebook. These networks amplified pro-China narratives similar to those promoted by Chinese state representatives and state media. Much of the content shared by the network focuses on the US, and in particular on divisive issues like gun laws and race politics.
The study, shared with the BBC, found that the network of fake profiles circulated garish cartoons depicting, among others, exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui, an outspoken critic of China. Other controversial figures featured in the cartoons included "whistleblower" scientist Li-Meng Yang, and Steve Bannon, former political strategist for tRUMP. Each of these individuals has themselves been accused of spreading disinformation, including false information about COVID-19.
Public relations techniques | Internet trolling | Disinformation operations |
The Great Translation Movement (大翻译运动; Dà Fānyì Yùndòng) is an online anti-war movement launched during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It seeks to expose perceived pro-Russian, anti-American, anti-Japanese, and anti-Western sentiment and Chinese irredentism over claimed territories such as Taiwan and the South China Sea, as well as racially discriminatory sentiments in China, the life in cities under lockdown due to the zero-COVID policy and the policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by translating government propaganda and policies, anti-Western public opinion and postings on life in the cities during lockdown found on the Chinese internet and public announcements into other languages, including English, Japanese, French, Korean, and Spanish. The Guardian has pointed out that the Great Translation Movement has been a source for English-language speakers to understand the Chinese state media's reaction towards Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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