'Foreign-linked anti-Anwar disinformation spreads on social media'

 

A social media analysis of the week after the 15th general election found a coordinated disinformation campaign against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The campaign, which also featured foreign influences, among others, attempted to paint Anwar as a US proxy and peddled other conspiracy theories, security expert Munira Mustaffa found.

In her article for the research outfit Global Network of Extremism and Technology (GNET), she said the online hate campaign against Anwar picked up on the day he was sworn in as prime minister on Nov 24 "from both Malaysian and foreign sources".

"Accounts linked to fringe and pro-Kremlin groups and individuals in the West known to support authoritarian regimes and whitewash genocides were spreading conspiracies that Anwar is either a CIA plant or a puppet regime installed by Zionist Israelis to advance the US and Israel's imperial and military interests and antagonise China, via the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) organisation.

"The unrelenting nature of the cyber conspiracy campaigns attacking Anwar could even be compared to the Kremlin-linked 2016 US election meddling that targeted Hilary Clinton to suppress her voters and erode their confidence in her," she wrote.

In her sampling, the expert identified three "foreign influence operators" pushing conspiracy theories against Anwar since becoming prime minister.

Security expert Munira Mustaffa

One example cited by Munira was a tweet by a seemingly US source accusing Anwar of being "Washington's trained proxy", and appended a photograph of him during a NED event, where he spoke on a panel.

However, checks by Malaysiakini found the same source was promoting pro-China views and anti-Ukraine views.

GNET, a part of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), describes itself as a research unit aimed at better understanding how terrorists use technology.

Munira is an expert in intelligence, counterterrorism and countering violent extremism.

Cybertrooper’s hate messages have greater reach

In her social network analysis, Munira showed how known anti-Pakatan Harapan cybertroopers (cytros) had the largest influence on Anwar's inauguration day.

This meant the content pushed by these cybertroopers had the most amplification, compared to mainstream media, political actors or other disinformation media arms, she noted.

"The social networks analysis also demonstrates the asymmetry of information wars as political rivals, their own media arm and malicious cybertroopers sow competing narratives against Anwar, his supporters and the local mainstream media," she said.

Munira found a spike in anti-Anwar hate-mongering tweets from just under 2,000 tweets the day before to more than 12,000 tweets on the day he was sworn in.

The disinformation about Harapan's foreign policy runs counter to the coalition's manifesto which promised to be non-aligned.

She said that the conspiracy theories of Anwar's foreign allegiance tapped into existing anxieties over the matter.

"Attempts of foreign interference to influence local audiences and discredit Anwar also demonstrated that external elements are also investing in preventing Anwar's government from undermining their own power," she said.

She also noted how the use of young paid influencers, including in pushing the May 13 narrative on TikTok, showed "an intention to stir tensions and polarise the population".

This shows how "malignant political actors" are becoming more proficient in using digital tactics and disinformation to exploit existing racial and religious fault lines, she stated.

"The advent of the influencer economy on social media facilitates political mischief.

"The new government (sic) must take steps to correctly identify the problem and this requires a comprehensive response," she said.

Understanding financial motives behind hate speech

She said to address this, the Anwar administration must not disregard those who are amplifying this message as a "radicalised lost cause".

"It is important to understand how digital astroturfing can have a profoundly negative impact on elections, and that financial incentives were the fundamental motivation for the dissemination of hateful messaging," she said.

Digital astroturfing refers to the practice of influencing public opinion by using digital means to fake grassroots movements.

Munira said trying to push a counter-narrative to drown the disinformation would be an exercise of futility.

"Instead of getting its own cybertrooper squad to combat disinformation, the government should pursue electoral reforms by granting the Election Commission (EC) greater autonomy and agility.

"The EC must next consider prohibiting election interference through influence campaigns such as cybertroopers and digital astroturfing," she said.

Among other proposals, Munira also urged Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil to improve media literacy and accessibility so accurate information gets spread faster.

Besides that, she also called on efforts against elements which she said run counter to nation-building.

This includes regulating private religious schools, which could be used for "indoctrinating ideas that may impede nation-building initiatives". - Mkini