Philippines, China clashes trigger money-making disinformation [Video]

Violent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea are being manipulated online by disinformation networks for profit, posing risks to regional security, an AFP investigation has found.

Since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos took office in 2022 and began standing up to China over its territorial claims, social media has been awash with posts that often exaggerate the country’s defence capabilities or allude to an imminent war in the region.

AFP uncovered a coordinated network of dozens of Facebook and YouTube channels that direct users to a bogus news website that appears to use artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly churn out unfounded claims for advertising revenue.

Analysts say it is unclear if the network is directly linked to state actors, but the content often mirrors China’s position on the dispute.

Together, the network’s associated pages and channels have a combined following of more than 10 million people.

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