Intelligence agents have recorded 510,000 instances of “controversial information” being spread online by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) so far this year, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report yesterday, as it warned of artificial intelligence (AI) being employed to generate destabilizing misinformation.
The bureau submitted a written report to the Legislative Yuan in preparation for National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee today.
The CCP has been using cognitive warfare to divide Taiwanese society by commenting on controversial issues such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) investments in the US, the bureau said.
Photo: Cheng I-hwa, AFP
The information was mostly found on Facebook, as well as forum Web sites PTT and Dcard, and social media platforms X and TikTok, it said.
About 3,600 suspicious accounts were found, mostly on Facebook, although as more Taiwanese are using TikTok, cases are rising on the platform, it added.
So far this year, the bureau said it had identified more than 510,000 “controversial messages,” compared with 442,652 in the first quarter of last year.
As AI becomes more advanced and its use more widespread, there has been a marked increase in the CCP’s use of AI to generate and spread misinformation, it said.
The CCP has been using state-run media, private accounts, cyberarmy groups and public relations firms to manipulate public opinion, the bureau said.
China launches cyberattacks using fake accounts to create division within Taiwanese society, exploiting the transparency and openness of the nation’s democratic systems, it said.
The CCP repeatedly attempts to hack and steal data from Taiwanese governmental organizations, critical infrastructure and technology companies, the bureau said.
Since last year, the government’s service network registered a daily average of 2.19 million cyberattacks, mostly from China, it said.
Most were coordinated with political issues and Chinese military exercises, showing how China is integrating information warfare with its wider Taiwan-focused policies, it added.
The bureau said that it had already established an automated monitoring and analysis platform alongside industry leaders, academics and intelligence agencies.
It vowed to continue optimizing data protection, and monitoring domestic and international intelligence to promptly respond to threats.
The bureau added that it would build off-site backup systems and develop secure communications equipment to strengthen the resilience and security of government networks, while also deepening international exchanges and cooperation.
The CCP has been targeting controversial topics such as TSMC’s announcement of an additional US$100 billion investment in the US, President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech and the Chinese military’s “joint combat readiness patrols,” the bureau said.
The CCP is also employing illegal cybercrime tactics, it said.
Taiwan’s healthcare sector has suffered from a series of ransomware attacks, with hackers stealing data to sell on online forums, the bureau said.
Information is then spread online about the ransomware attacks to destabilize social order and create public anxiety, it said.
The hackers have also stolen data from the government and the national defense sector, it added.
The information is then repackaged, sensationalized and repeatedly resold, aiming to damage the government’s credibility, the bureau said.
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