A Chinese social media influence operation has been impersonating U.S. voters, disparaging American politicians, and spreading divisive messages ahead of the November 5th presidential election, according to new research by intelligence firm Graphika. The operation, known as “Spamouflage” or “Dragonbridge,” is linked to the Chinese state and mixes spam with targeted propaganda.

Spamouflage, active since at least 2017, has increased its efforts as the U.S. election approaches, using thousands of accounts across more than 50 websites, forums, and social media platforms. Jack Stubbs, head of Graphika’s research team, stated that the campaign has become more aggressive in its attempts to infiltrate and influence U.S. political discussions. The operation has evolved to exploit sensitive societal divisions without favoring either political party.

Graphika highlighted instances where Chinese operatives posed as American anti-war activists, using social media accounts to create memes that denigrated both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Despite China’s denial of any interference, the U.S. government is actively investigating foreign efforts to meddle in the election.

Social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok have taken action against the Spamouflage accounts, removing videos and banning certain profiles. TikTok’s “Harlan Report” account, one of the campaign’s most successful assets, gained millions of views before being permanently banned for violating community guidelines. Meta also confirmed the removal of Spamouflage activity from Facebook and Instagram, though the content had little impact on real audiences.