China Uses Social Media To Push Political Unrest In Spain, Raising Questions About US Elections

A Chinese state-backed disinformation network has been caught attempting to stir political unrest in Spain through social media, raising new questions about how Beijing may be influencing the United States. The operation, dubbed “Spamouflage,” spread propaganda across multiple platforms, impersonating activists and human rights groups to amplify public anger.

According to Graphika, the Chinese campaign targeted both Spain’s central government and the leadership of Valencia following deadly floods that devastated the region in October. The campaign involved fake accounts posing as locals, using platforms like X and TikTok to criticize the government’s response and call for leadership changes. This marks the first known attempt by the group to push for the outright removal of a Western government.

Spamouflage has been active since 2017, previously engaging in online manipulation in Canada and the United States. In 2024, the network reportedly sought to influence American voters by pretending to be supporters of President Donald Trump and spreading inflammatory content. Unlike other foreign influence operations, China’s approach appears to focus on deepening divisions rather than backing a specific political ideology.

Beijing has denied accusations of election interference, previously stating it had “no intention” of meddling in U.S. political affairs. However, the exposure of the Spain operation suggests that China is willing to target democratic institutions by creating instability through digital influence campaigns.

The increasing sophistication of China’s disinformation tactics has drawn attention from security analysts and government officials. Lawmakers are expected to examine whether similar influence campaigns have been deployed in the United States and how they may impact future elections.

While Spain’s leadership is dealing with the aftermath of this exposure, the revelation underscores the broader threat of Chinese-backed online manipulation. The U.S. government is likely to intensify efforts to monitor foreign influence operations to safeguard its own electoral processes.