Pro-China agents posed as activists to protest US, Canada mines: security firm
- Digital campaign tried try to stir up opposition against mining firms that challenge China’s business interests, cybersecurity firm Mandiant said
- China dominates the global market for rare earth elements, which are critical for manufacturing mobile phones and other electronics
Pro-Chinese agents posed as concerned local residents on social media to try and spark protests over the opening of rare earth mines in the US and Canada, cybersecurity researchers said in a new report.
The fake Twitter and Facebook accounts were created to give China, the largest producer of rare earth minerals, a competitive advantage, cybersecurity research company Mandiant disclosed on Tuesday.
Mandiant has reported on a network of thousands of fake accounts across numerous social media platforms, websites and forums since 2019 that support China’s political interests.
China’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.
In one recent campaign Mandiant coined “Dragonbridge”, fake accounts purported to be concerned local residents and environmentalists on Facebook to orchestrate protests at the Texas facility of the Australian mining company Lynas Rare Earths Ltd, according to Mandiant. It was unclear who was behind the campaign, the firm said.
The fake accounts claimed that the processing facility would spur irreversible environmental damage and radioactive contamination that could cause cancer and deformities in newborns, Mandiant researchers said.