In the first quarter of 2024, Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) took decisive action against a pro-People’s Republic of China (PRC) influence operation known as DRAGONBRIDGE. The company disrupted more than 10,000 instances of inauthentic, coordinated activity across its platforms as part of its ongoing efforts to combat information operations.

Scope of the Disruption Across Google Services

The takedown campaign was extensive, impacting multiple Google products. TAG terminated over 10,800 YouTube channels and shut down over 70 Blogger blogs identified as part of the DRAGONBRIDGE network. The enforcement also extended to Google’s advertising platforms, where the company blocked over 100 AdSense accounts and over 20 Google Ads accounts linked to the operation.

Campaign Characteristics and Ineffective Reach

The activity associated with DRAGONBRIDGE was described as low-quality and “spammy.” The content often consisted of machine-generated text or material repurposed from other sources. Narratives focused on topics supporting the PRC’s interests, including content related to U.S. domestic politics and criticism of the United States. A key finding from Google’s report was the campaign’s lack of success in building an authentic audience. The vast majority of the terminated YouTube channels, for example, had zero subscribers at the time of their removal, indicating minimal organic engagement.

Source: https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/google-disrupted-dragonbridge-activity-q1-2024/