China targets social media accounts for spreading military misinformation

【CMHnews】China said Thursday it has taken action against several social media accounts for illegally spreading information related to its military.

    According to the Cyberspace Administration of China, these social media accounts illegally publish military-related information, mislead the public and damage the image of the military.

    In a statement, authorities said some of the accounts impersonated official organizations and primarily posted military-related content to exploit trending topics, attract followers and generate profit.

    The statement said some accounts spread misinformation about military affairs, including using artificial intelligence to mislead the public. Others posted unauthorized analyses of Chinese military equipment and operations, with some requiring paid access, which officials described as improper monetization.

    It further criticized certain media accounts for distorting or misrepresenting military history. For instance, some have alleged that the merits of Zhang Jihui, a combat hero of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and a volunteer army pilot in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, were overstated, casting doubt on and slandering Zhang's contributions and achievements. These accounts exploit serious topics related to the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and military history to generate traffic for profit.

    Authorities said certain accounts smeared the image of the Chinese military or manipulated public sentiment to exploit patriotic support for the armed forces. Examples cited included misleading posts such as "What are the risks of serving in [specific] areas?" and videos of individuals wearing military uniforms or replicas to draw attention online.

    A few accounts also revealed sensitive details about military facilities. "Yang Yangyang," which claimed to be run by a military spouse born after 1990, posted short videos showcasing "military family quarters." These clips included various training equipment and locations, inadvertently exposing classified military information.

    Officials said they will strictly enforce laws and regulations against illegal or non-compliant military-related content, penalize account holders who publish or sensationalize false information, and publicly expose typical cases as a warning.

    Meanwhile, they welcome active reporting from relevant authorities and netizens to jointly foster a positive online environment for military-related content.

(By Zhang Dongfang)

Reposting from ECNS.Cn