Zuck Finds China’s Cloak and Dagger
Yesterday, Silicon Valley made all the noise. Facebook and Twitter revealed how under siege they’d become from misinformation campaigns. However, this isn’t just any fake news…
It’s been traced back to none other than the People’s Republic of China (PRC). After lifting the lid on a “state-coordinated campaign of misinformation,” the dirt was out on President Xi. Many investors had put their Asian stock buying on hold given the flare-up with Hong Kong protests, and now they may have to wait a while longer.
China’s backdoor tactics to suppress anti-government marches may have backfired on this occasion, but they were a hit while they lasted. The hush-hush campaign reached over 200,000 targeted accounts, and that’s a big issue for Facebook and Twitter. Both companies are under fire for user safety, and news like this doesn’t help Facebook against break-up calls. Some believe it’s not just China that can’t be trusted, but big tech as well!
As for events in the East, if the PRC is so willing to cheat for political control, how much integrity is there behind the country’s efforts to stamp out cheating in business? Fudged numbers remain a key reason why investors stay away from the region. On top of that, this headlines don’t paint Xi Jinping, your main business partner in a Chinese investment, in a very flattering light!
Credit where credit’s due, Twitter and Facebook didn’t smuggle these revelations away from the public eye. Both companies took speedy action, effectively catching Xi in the act and dragging him before President Trump before trade talks commence again. Yesterday, was undoubtedly a day of big winners and big losers!
