According to New York-based Graphika, a Chinese social media operation known as Spamouflage has been identified as posing as human rights group Safeguard Defenders to incite political unrest in the West. The operation urged for the overthrow of a foreign government in response to criticism of flood relief efforts in Spain, following a deadly October flood that claimed 224 lives.
Graphika's latest report highlights that Spamouflage, believed to have ties to the Chinese state, has targeted various countries since 2017, including Canada, during last year's election. The campaign involved impersonating Safeguard Defenders on social media to denounce the handling of flood response by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government and the Valencia regional government.
The Chinese embassy in Madrid and the Spanish government have not responded to requests for comments regarding these allegations. Graphika reported that Spamouflage has a history of targeting Safeguard Defenders, particularly after the NGO accused China of activity in European Union countries in 2022.
Safeguard Defenders Campaign Director Laura Harth expressed concerns over the impact of these online discrediting efforts on the organization's credibility and potential repercussions in Spanish politics. Notably, a video associated with Safeguard Defenders surfaced online, featuring a masked individual calling for the overthrow of the Spanish government.
Graphika concluded with "high confidence" that the accounts linked to the Spamouflage campaign have been actively engaged in these deceptive activities.